Fire and Air: Pathways
by Zozeebobs
Summary: Sometimes we are never put on one straight path. Sometimes we have a different pathway, yet the same destination. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. Let's hope that this is true. Because this war needs to end, now, before anyone else is hurt. I'm just hoping it won't be too late... Sequel to 'Fire and Air: Beginnings'. Follows the series but with a few changes-ZukoXOC
1. Flying Lessons

_**Flying Lessons**_

_**Seria's POV**_

I inhaled the sharp and fresh morning air, feeling the sun's early rays warm my cheeks. I rolled my shoulders back slowly to let the muscles loosen up. The stone floor ended abruptly at my toes and gave way to a great abyss, full of sharp stones and boulders at the bottom. One step forward would ensure a rapid decent to the rocks below, but for now it held a place to admire the view. It was a beautiful sunrise, the sun just skimming the cliff walls which sent the first flicker of light into the cliff's valley. There was a strong wind that weaved its way through the buildings of the Western Air Temple like an eel, supplying the place with new smells and sounds as they're carried across the rift.

I brought my hand up to cover up to cover a yawn, eyes watering and jaw cracking. Sure, it was beautiful. But the scenery didn't change the fact that it was close to _four_ _in_ _the_ _morning_ – far too early to be awake. Even the birds weren't out of their nests yet. Everyone back at camp was still snuggled up in their sleeping bags and, well, today I'd found out that I'm _not_ a morning person.

"Now," I began, turning to Zuko beside me, who currently had my glider in something close to a death grip as he stood on the edge of the temple floor. I smile at his awkward grip and shift his hands slightly further along the handles. "The only thing you need to remember is to hold on, okay? Do that and you'll be fine."

Zuko gave his head a slight shake. "You don't have to remind me about _that_," he peered over the edge and if I didn't know him better, I'd say he was feeling nervous. "Are you sure this will work? Air's more your element than mine, Seria."

I sighed. "It _will_ work. I just need you to trust me," I said.

"I trust _you_," Zuko answered gruffly. "Just not this flimsy staff thing–"

My eye twitched. "Glider."

"Whatever."

I shot him an irritated look, but any impression I wanted to make was quickly overridden by another yawn. It had been a hard climb to the highest spot in the Western Air Temple and one that I'd managed to do half asleep. But although it was early, I knew that this was the best time to fly, especially if Zuko didn't really want everyone else to know what we were up to (something to do with 'manly pride').

I mean it's not every day Zuko charges up to _you_ and asks to have a go on your glider. Well, okay maybe I'd given him a little encouragement but still.

We'd had a bit of practice beforehand and Zuko had got acquainted with how to handle the glider and I in turn, familiarised myself with bending the glider when someone else was on it. This was a completely new experience for me and I had to be sure I didn't risk Zuko's life because of some missed practice. However, now I was confident we really could do it and besides, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of fun, won't it? Things had relatively quiet so far since the fight with the soldiers and killing Chen–

…_killing Chen…_

Shuddering, I turned my mind back to the present and buried that fact within me, promising myself to deal with it later.

"Listen, Zuko, you're thinking about it too much," I said watching as his amber eyes flicked to mine briefly, before being glued back onto the patch of sky he was about to launch himself into. I put my hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "Don't think. Just go."

He lifted his chin up in a determined way and I smiled, taking a step back. I heard each breath get further apart until it had slowed to a steady breathing pattern.

He swayed forward alarmingly on his feet, as if testing the air in front of him, and I turned and quickly hopped onto Appa, grasping the reins in one hand. The wind had picked up and was rolling into all three of us in great waves. Appa growled slightly as the wind ruffled his fur and I stroked the beast's head absent-mindedly, watching Zuko intently.

"Just let yourself go, Zuko!" I shouted over the wind, deciding to repeat myself. Suddenly I was eager for him to go. "Jump and I'll catch you!"

That seemed to do the trick.

Zuko leaned forward, his centre of weight shifting so he dropped off the side of the plaza like a stone. I swiftly guided Appa to follow as we began our decent into the air. I just hoped Zuko would remember what I told him.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

Those first few seconds of free-fall were both terrifying and electrifying. My stomach clenched almost painfully as the wind roared past my ears, watching through tears as the world above spun away in one multi-coloured blur. The rocks at the bottom that had been out of sight moments ago were becoming larger with each passing second.

Some images of being flattened into the cliff's bottom came to me and fear began to creep into the edges of my mind. I'd wanted to see what all this fuss about gliding was about. Seria seemed to love it and I guess it seemed kind of fun so when she'd suggested the idea to me, I'd wanted to try it. But right now; I was wondering if curiosity would lead me to nothing more than a sudden death.

_Where is she? _I thought in panic, looking about wildly._ I'm going to freaking crash before she reaches me–_

But a few seconds before I could be flattened against a rock, a shadow passed over me and the glider angled sharply upwards in a wide arc, seemingly all by itself. My arms strained as they took weight and at the lowest point of the curve, I could've reached out with my hand and touched the rocks below. The glider levelled and so I was now horizontal to the ground, the rocks gliding past further down harmlessly. I let out the breath I'd been holding and felt the glider smoothly turn to fly along the edges of the Western Air Temple.

Swallowing a lump in my throat – that could've well been my heart – I looked to my right and saw Appa with no driver flying alongside of me. Reins abandoned, Seria was standing with her feet firmly planted on the saddle, twisting and waving her arms as she bended the air around the glider to her will, her face painted with concentration.

I stared. For some reason, with the wind tearing at her clothes and hair, she looked even more stunning than usual.

Distracted, I almost lost my grip as the glider turned sharply, forgetting to lean into the turns. My pulse hurtled up a few paces as I dropped a few metres, before the thing was shakily brought back up again by Seria.

"Dammit! Careful, Zuko!" I heard her shout and I made a point of rolling my eyes at her. In response she growled at me. She was so_ moody _in the mornings.

Nonetheless, I adjusted my hands and tightened my legs' hold on the glider. Feeling experimental, I dipped it left and the wings smoothly obeyed, gliding on a slight air current that was no doubt one of Seria's. As I continued Seria slowly handed me more freedom with manoeuvring the glider. A smile fought its way through as I picked up speed, an idea forming in my head.

"Seria!" I shouted, leaning it to the right. "Lift the glider up! I want to try something."

I caught a look of surprise from Seria, but still she complied and I rose in an unsteady corkscrew as high as I could, up and up until I was above the cliff. I took a deep breath and adjusting my grip on the handles…

And dipped the nose forward and plunged back down to earth, dropping as if I was suddenly madde of lead. My eyes watered and I couldn't help but grin in thrilling exhilaration as I accelerated, before Seria pulled me up again. By this time I was laughing, drunk with adrenaline.

I caught Seria's smile, looking a little smug.

"You like it!" She cried excitedly. It was a statement.

"Well, yeah," I flailed to shout back an answer. "I guess it's… alright."

She laughed. "_Alright_? Is that really all you'd call it?"

"Okay, okay it's _great_," I growled and watched her smile grow. _But I wanted to take the next step… _"So… How about a loop?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise before she hooted. "You're kidding me, right? You're lucky to still be on the glider after that stunt! And now you want to try a _loop_? They're still tricky for me even!"

I gave her a mischievous look. "What can I say? I'm an excellent learner."

"With a death wish it seems," came her sharp reply. Smiling, she shook her head and began to bend the glider closer to Appa, despite my efforts to subtly turn it the other away. "No, that's enough flying for today," Seria continued. "Besides, you're too clumsy."

Scowling, I let go of the glider once it was hovering over the bison's saddle. But I found that the glider was higher up than I thought and I ended up crashing into Seria. There was a yelp of surprise from Seria as we both fell over, landing heavily onto the hard hide of the saddle, and I smacked my shoulder painfully in the process.

I groaned and looked down at Seria, who was laughing; apparently finding it to be the funniest thing in the world, as I unsuccessfully tried to untangle myself from her.

"And _that_," She spluttered between laughs. "Is why you can't do the loop."

I shrugged. "It's just landing."

"Yeah right," She grinned. "But I have to admit… you were actually pretty good. For a beginner it was great – but it does help if you, you know, can airbend. Now can you _get_ _off_ _me_? "

rubbing my sore shoulder.

Seria stands and frowns worriedly. "Your shoulder okay?"

I'm just about to reply when her eyes widen.

"Crap! The glider!" Seria curses, scrambling to the edge.

Rolling away from her destructive path, I watch as she pretty much dives over the side of the saddle, disappearing from sight.

"Gee, I'm fine thanks, Seria," I mutter sourly, sitting back down.

Some time passes and she hasn't come back yet. I get a bit nervous at her absence – she did just _jump_ into thin air after all – and drag myself to the side. I look over; just in time to see her fly back up with the glider. She lands lightly next to me, her hair messed and tangled and eyes slightly red from wind-burn.

"That was close," she sighs, sitting down next to me and smoothing down the wings of the glider. "It was almost smashed against the cliff! Teo would have killed me."

I remain rigid. "Mmm."

She apparently doesn't notice.

"It's too early for this," she yawns and leans against me, head resting against my chest. My bitterness disappears and I place an arm around her shoulders to make it more comfortable. I see her eyes close and I grin. _Not one for early rises then_.

I frown. She looks so fragile when she's asleep…

I hold her tighter and we stay like this for a while, ignoring the growls of the bison and the wild wind, when an unexpectedly warm feeling rises up inside of me. It was so foreign yet comforting at the same time, I felt like diving off the side just to get the familiar, heart-pounding adrenaline back. Then I realised what it was and I'm surprised. It had taken me a long time to find it, but here it was; unexpected and stupid – yet welcome and warming – happiness.

But inevitably, the moment was shattered quite spectacularly by a huge explosion that resonated across the valley.


	2. Sibling Rivalry

_**Sibling Rivalry**_

_**Seria's POV**_

My eyes fly open as the sound crashed through the air, bouncing off the sides of the cliffs either side, until the last booming echoes disappeared.

"What was that?" I whispered.

Zuko cocked his head to one side, listening intently. He shrugged. "Sounded like it came from camp."

"Earthbending maybe?" I asked slightly hopeful. Zuko shook his head and stood up, me following. There was another blast and Appa growled restlessly, shaking his head back and forth and almost throwing us both off in the process. I quickly leaped for the reins and brought him back under control through a few short tugs and several hasty pats behind the horns – where he likes it.

That was definitely not earthbending. It was an explosion.

"Something's happened!" I exclaim as I steer Appa back to camp, my previous stupor replaced with sharp vigilance. The bison must've sense my urgency as he abruptly sped up so we were flying with great haste.

"How did they find us?" Zuko yelled, one hand on the saddle and the other gripping my glider. I felt a sense of gratitude towards him; without him my glider would've slipped off when Appa went crazy. Maybe he's not such an idiot after all.

"Don't know!" I replied, gripping the reins harder. I turned and lowered my voice as it became bitter. "But we'll give them a fight."

We flew towards camp and headed straight into a cloud. We could make out three irregular shapes in the distance growing bigger, any hope of identifying the objects blocked by the curl of clouds in front of us. A look of confusion passed between Zuko and me. After a tense silence, we broke through the misty vapour and a small gasp of shock escaped me. The shapes were airships. _Three Firenation airships_.

I looked to where we made camp and saw that in its place, there were metal plates that had been closed to form a wall of defence to stall the airships' attacks. Aang's work no doubt; only airbenders can activate the defences of any Air Temple. They wouldn't last long though. They were crumbling and falling into disrepair as it was and couldn't withstand a full-scale onslaught from the Firenation.

Zuko shouted behind me as something oblong and spinning flew towards us, closing the large distance swiftly. With adrenaline fuelling my mind and quickening my reactions, I turned Appa to the right and flicked a gust of air towards it. Inches from the bison's head, the bomb soared past us with a hiss of air and exploded against the cliff behind us, showering rocks and dirt, one hitting me square on the head. Swearing and rubbing the tentative spot furiously, I brought Appa down next to the metal defences, out of the airship's line of fire, and jumped off. I assumed everyone from camp was inside.

"Stay close!" I shouted to Zuko and swept a gust of wind against the walls. The air pushes through the cracks and they open, widening just enough to let Appa through.

Suddenly there's the sound of something close to a landslide and we barely have time to duck as a boulder flies over us, smashing into a pillar behind me.

Zuko growls to my right and I gingerly lift my head back up.

"Whoops!" Toph says sheepishly, standing in front of us in a typical earthbending stance. There's numerous crashes as she drops the other rocks that she was probably planning to chuck at us and gives us an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that, I didn't know who it was."

Aang rushes forward to help Zuko pull Appa inside as I hurriedly reclose the wall with a whip of my glider, just before another explosion shakes the whole place, making us all lurch and stumble as the ground sways.

"Watch out!" Zuko suddenly shouts and my eyes widen in horror as a part of the ceiling collapses, right above Katara. I'm about to blow her away with airbending – cruel but affective – when Zuko beats me to it and completely tackles her to the ground, pushing her out of the way just in time.

"What are you doing?" Katara asks irritated, not one bit grateful that he'd just saved her life. Her hostility surprises me. It's a completely different side to the normal caring-and-motherly Katara.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you," Zuko says dryly. Katara narrows her eyes.

"_Okay_, I'm not crushed! You can get off me now," Katara says angrily pushing herself up and moving away quickly.

Zuko looks after her, annoyed, and mutters, "I'll take that as a 'thank you'."

Aang and I glance at each other awkwardly before he coughs and moves over to Katara. I sigh heavily and walk to Zuko who's still seething on the floor, pulling him up. "Come on, we've got to move," I tell him and the ground shakes again as another explosion rocks the cliffside.

We all group against one part of the wall, Sokka and his dad talking strategies and escape routes. I'm listening to their discussions when a squeaky voice behind me catches my attention.

"Seria! You're back!"

I look around… Just in time to be knocked to the floor by The Duke as he gives me a huge bear hug. It was surprising how strong he was considering his size. _And how heavy he is_, I thought with a groan, gently pushing him off. I pick myself up and he breaks away, looking up at me with those huge brown eyes.

"I thought you'd been captured by those Firenation soldiers," he says gesturing in the general direction of the airships outside. The relief about him is heavy and I realise that he had been genuinely scared for me.

I should be smiling and grateful and other things as such, but instead I just feel _sad_, the reality of how an eight-year-old boy is stuck in the middle of a war hitting home. How many other thousands of children have been affected by this damn war?

I manage a watery smile and pull him into a fierce hug before releasing him after he starts squirming in embarrassment. "I'm fine. Thank you, The Duke."

"I would've come and saved you," the young boy states, puffing out his chest proudly, and I laugh, playfully twisting his helmet around so he couldn't see. A muted "Hey!" comes from the helmet.

"I bet you would have sent those soldiers running," I say.

He rightens his helmet and grins. I put on a happy face but inside, a quiet fury boils.

_We need to end this war_, I think with bitter determination as I watch him skip back over to Teo. _This has to stop_.

The plan to stop the Firelord had been Aang's mission in my head before, but now I realise that we all have our part in this. The number of people who are having their hopes placed on us to stop this war smashes into me like a charging moose-lion. It's my job as well now.

"Come on!" The shout pulls me away from my thoughts. Haru and Toph create a long dark tunnel in the wall beside us and I see The Duke covers his ears as Toph shouts to Aang: "We can get out through here!"

I notice that Aang's still struggling with Appa and I run to help him pull the scared bison nearer the tunnel. As I grab hold of the reins, Aang turns to me gratefully but then notices something behind me that makes his eyes widen.

"Zuko! What are you doing?" he shouts.

I turn and see Zuko standing on his own with his back to us, staring intently at the wall as it falls to pieces to reveal the blue sky and the airships on the other side.

My breath hitches. "Get back here!" I'm shouting, still trying to tug Appa back near the tunnel. "Zuko, it's not safe there!"

He turns his head to us but doesn't move. "Go ahead," he says. "I'll hold them off." He turns back to the wall, oblivious to the large parts of the ceiling crashing around him. His voice lowers and I can only just hear him when he speaks again. "I think this is a family visit."

I frown. A _what_?

But before I can ask, he's running… _towards the airships._

"Zuko, no!" I shout, suddenly worried for him.

Sokka and Katara run up behind us. "Come on!" Sokka says, putting a restraining hand on my shoulder. "We've got to get out of here!"

I look fretfully between Sokka's hand and to Zuko, who has just reached the end of the chamber and charges outside, vaulting over what's left of the walls as he goes. A fat chunk of rock crashes down behind him and dust erupts from it, obscuring my view.

I can't shake an itching feeling that I've got to help him. So I shrug Sokka's hand off and jump up to grab my glider from Appa's saddle, before I take off after Zuko, gathering speed as I go.

"Seria! Where are you going?" Katara calls.

"I'm going to help Zuko!" I yell over my shoulder. "He's going to get himself killed!"

Pressing my feet firmly into the ground, I jump over the fallen rock from before and with a quick windmill-like sweep of my arms, let airbending carry me all the way to the hole in the wall where he'd gone through.

Landing neatly on my feet outside, I'm just in time to see Zuko standing near the edge, the wind clawing at his clothes. Rising in front of him is a girl, standing on some sort of platform, gripping the side rails and grinning wickedly. She's wearing body armour with gold and black trimming; typical royal Firenation soldier uniform. Her hair is pulled up into a tight bun on her head, leaving two strands of hair to frame her face, held up by a–

Wait a second… Is that a_…_ a_ crown_?!

My mouth gapes as I realise that I'm looking at Princess Azula, the Firelord's second-born child.

_And Zuko's younger sister_, I remember.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko calmly asks and I drag my attention back to him. None of them have seen me yet and I stay where I am by the wall, recovering from the shock I've just had. I quietly duck behind some debris and continue listening to their conversation.

The grin widens on her face and she throws her arms up. "You mean it's not _obvious_ yet?" she drawls, her tone patronising and cruel at the same time. She leans forward alarmingly, not understanding how easy it is to fall if the wind blows again, and grips the railings once more. "I'm about to celebrate being an only child…"

With no warning, she flips over the bar and thrusts her legs downwards, creating a huge plume of blue fire – _blue fire?! _– that hurtles towards Zuko. He begins to run in my direction and it explodes behind him, the force of the blast sending him flying towards me.

I quickly run forward and create a cushion of air to break his fall. His eyes widen as he hovers before slowly floating to the ground. Then he sees me and the confusion is quickly replaced by anger.

"Why did you follow me?" he asks me as he gets up immediately. He sounds annoyed but I know he's just worried. I look around and see that the force of Azula's blast has finally broken the strength of this building. Cracks snake up to where we're standing, creating massive fissures in the stone floor. We really don't have time to stand and chat.

"Go," I tell him. "I've got your back."

To his credit, he swallows whatever he's about to say and nods. He begins running again, back towards the airships as the firebenders open fire. One blast topples a pillar and I watch in awe as he runs up the stone column and jumps, using its momentum to propel him into the air. He flies toward the airship and punches, releasing four fire blasts at the platform.

Azula jumps down, narrowly missing being cooked, but otherwise unscathed. Zuko loses power and begins to fall. He's not going to make it.

"Zuko!" I scream as he hits the side of the airship and falls down, disappearing into the clouds below. I charge and dive off the building, narrowly missing a blast from Azula on the way down.

My eyes water as I point the glider in front of me, making myself more streamline and speeding up. I can see him now, a dark shape in the cloud's haze, and I angle my dive so I'm closer. His mouth is open, his eyes are wide and his hand is outstretched, as if he is still trying to reach out to catch himself before he falls. Behind him, the dark shape of the grounds begins to come nearer.

Gritting my teeth, I open the glider and quickly grab his hand, wobbling as I try to fly one handed. I slow us down, but we crash into something red. And big. The impact is painful, but not jarring or bone-breaking. We bump along until we skid to a stop. It's a weird surface, like some sort of fabric, but it's solid.

After a few seconds of just lying there on the ground, I lean on my glider and use it to lift myself up, feeling really dizzy. I look around, squinting. It's hard to see as cloud is obscuring a lot of my view at the moment. Swearing as I trip up on numerous things on the ground, I stagger around like a drunk and call out for Zuko.

I see a blurred figure sitting on their knees and with a relieved smile I run towards it, recognising the familiar form. Zuko's eyes are closed when I first see him but they open when he hears me coming. I offer a hand to help him up and he takes it, sluggishly getting to his feet.

"You okay?" I ask him softly. I frown and touch the side of his head, feeling a huge bump there. He winces and looks at me wearily but I smile brightly at him. "You have a slight lump on your head, but other than that you're alive."

"Thanks," He says. Shakily. I felt my own body shaking as the burst of adrenaline surges through.

"Just don't scare me like that again and I'll feel a little better," I say. "So that was your sister, right?" He nods. "Hmm. I'm guessing you two don't exactly share a brotherly-sisterly relationship thing, seeing as she just tried to burn you to a crisp."

He just shrugs. _Does he know he almost died?_

"Please don't do that again. At least not on your own."

"I don't need any help," Zuko mutters.

I glare at him. "_Yes_, you do. You almost _died_ a few seconds ago if I hadn't caught you! What were you thinking?"

"But I didn't." he says. "I've come this far on my own. I think I know what I'm doing–"

"_No_. You don't. You don't think these things through, Zuko!" I suddenly shout, annoyed. He goes very quiet and I sigh. "I'm sorry, Zuko, but I was just terrified. How do you think I would've coped if you'd died?" I take a breath. "Just… Let me help you. You're not alone anymore, okay? We got each other's backs."

He looks at me strangely for a while and then gives a single nod. "I'm sorry."

"No problem. I'm sorry I yelled at you," I grin. "But you were being stupid."

Zuko gives chuckles, his low and throaty laughter making me have goosebumps. With a slight swishing sound, the clouds around us disappear and Zuko doesn't have time to answer as we take in our surroundings. We'd crash landed straight into a third airship that was, at this current moment, ascending rapidly to join the others. The cloud haze had completely lifted and now, the sunlight defined everything. Maybe that was why I could clearly see Azula's shocked expression when she turned around and laid her eyes on Zuko and me.

Here we go.

I narrowed my eyes at her and put my hand on Zuko's shoulder, gently pushing him forward as way of encouragement. He glances in my direction fleetingly, before taking off running. I follow, hot on his heels.

The edge of the airship comes up quickly and he jumps, but this time he had me to propel him forward. I swung the arm that was not carrying my glider around, catching the wind and directing it towards Zuko, using it to propel him into the air. It was so powerful that it disturbed all the dust in the air so that I could actually _see_ it, a sleek and crystal clear snake slicing through the hazy air.

It hits him square in the back and Zuko falters slightly as the strong current of air gives him a boost, but he manages to stay upright as he flies through the air. Azula had finally come to her senses and moved to attack, a great plume of blue fire advancing towards Zuko. But he just halts the fire with a single kick in the air and fires his own attack on Azula, who actually has to scramble to get out of the way.

This was all I had time to see as my own momentum had gotten ahead of me. My swinging arm had shifted my centre of gravity and I'd stumbled and tripped, curling into myself as I braced to slam into the ground.

However, instead of a collision I was met with thin air and my body froze at the unexpected free-fall. I suddenly found myself clear of the edge of the airship and tumbled into the air. The wind rolled me over and over before my fumbling hand managed to close around the handles of my glider and I snapped open the wings, shakily bringing myself back up on a lone air current.

Zuko and Azula had begun to fight, seeming equally matched in their ability I realised. What Zuko didn't have Azula's elusiveness, Zuko made up in strength and power – not to mention catching her by surprise.

I hovered, silently cheering Zuko on, when some movement caught my attention on one side of the airship. As I watched, a hatch opened and several Imperial Firebenders spilled out of it, no doubt about to tip the odds in Azula's favour.

Well then. I guess I'd have to make it up for Zuko.

Smiling lightly, I swooped down and landed in front of them, blocking off their route to Azula and Zuko. They all stopped, surprise embedded into their body language and for a split-second I hesitated. Those three slanted eyes, blood red helmets and shard-like mouths were bringing back painful memories from the fight on the cliff. Of Chen stepping out from behind the buildings with over fifty of them. Of being stabbed in the back. Of killing –

A shout catches my attention and my mind is snapped back to the present as the first firebender makes their move – but they don't get the chance. Everything is extra sharp and extra clear, as if I was watching everything slowly unfold through a crystal, and in one quick and powerful gust with my glider, I knocked them all off their feet before the first one could shoot at me. With startled cries and a protest of fire, they were blown off the side as their legs flew up from beneath them.

The sight was instant relief of the memories as they looked as if they'd just slipped on a banana skin, a slight giggle even escaped me. It soon however turned into a wince as I heard the repetitive smashing of bodies against the side of the ship, the soldiers' safety lines bringing them back from the fall and into the metal bones and woven skin of the airship.

There's a sudden roaring rush and I barely have time to duck as a fireball sails over me, singing the tips of my hair. The heat, brief but intense, makes my eyes water and as it crashes into a patch of red material next to me, setting it on fire.

"Dammit!" I curse, hopping around as tiny orbs of fire shoot back at me in rebound.

I quickly extinguish the flames with lashings of ice cold air. If a hole was created, then the balloon would go down with Zuko still on it. I knew I could escape but I wasn't sure how my glider would cope with two people. And I wasn't quite ready to find out.

There was a hiss and I see another fireball surges towards me. Gripping my glider again, I charged towards the advancing fireball and with a cry, swung the glider around with the wings half open like a bat in a game of bat-and-ball. I knocked the fireball away and it smashed into one of the other ships.

There's an explosion behind me and I turn, ready to extinguish more flames, but instead I just see Zuko and Azula, spinning away from each other, before a shockwave blasts me off my feet and off the ship… again.

The glider is torn from my grasp, bending my wrist back making thin needles of pain shoot up my arm. I cry out and try to ignore the pain. As I fall I spot my glider a few metres above me, spinning wildly and out of control.

Then I see something in the distance; a figure. Someone's falling with me. Even from this far away, I know its Zuko. I panic as I realise without my glider there's no way I can reach him, thinking fast. I'm too far away from him to catch him even if I did have my glider. But he's got no way of slowing down or catching hold of one of the other airships before he hits the ground...

I don't need to worry: Soon Appa swoops underneath him, someone in the saddle reaches out and catches him. I breath out in relief then realise I've got around thirty seconds before I crash-land myself.

"Damn it!" I hiss through my teeth, feeling a bit scared. I twist around so I'm falling backwards, the new sensation flipping my stomach over nauseatingly, and try to concentrate on the air around the glider. The glider stops spinning and suddenly shoots towards me like a missile, my hands reaching out just in time to catch it. The unwelcome pressure on my wrist makes me grimace but I grab the handle firmly with the other hand. Guess I'll be flying one-handed.

I'm about to unfurl the wings when, over the rushing noise of wind, I hear something else. Like panicked breaths being gulped from behind me and I look around to get a better view. I do a double take as I find the source of the noise. It's Azula, arms and legs flailing helplessly trying to grasp hold of something to catch her fall. I hesitate, wondering if I should help her. I don't want any more blood on my hands. Being responsible for one death is enough but could I really handle _two_?

Before I can make a decision though, I realise that Azula's looking right at me. For a split-second we lock eyes and I see something change in them and they lose the rounded panic and become sharper like the points of a dagger. She stops flailing and pushes out with her feet, flame erupting from each sole. I cover my eyes and snap my glider open, flying away hastily out of the fire's reach. I swear softly as I see how close I was to hitting the bottom, rocks jutting out sharply. Is that a _bone _in-between those two boulders?

As I fly away, I glance behind me to see Azula clinging to the side of the cliff, smiling in a vindictively and almost feral way. I have an uneasy feeling. I don't like the ways she's looking at me, almost as if she's saying 'until next time'.

I shudder and, clumsy with one hand, I steer the glider in the direction I'd last seen a certain fluffy and arrow-streaked tail disappear.


	3. Campfire Stories

_**Campfire Stories**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"So, Seria," Sokka says as he turns to me with that obnoxious and arrogant smile, a feature he tends to commonly use when he's about to crack one of his famous 'jokes'. "What were you and Zuko doing on Appa this morning, eh?"

He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, not-so-skilfully twirling his stick of meat between his fingers. There are a few snickers from everyone around the campfire – Toph outright laughing – and I catch Zuko sending a subtle panic-stricken look in my direction before setting his face into a stony and emotionless void once again. No one's noticed he's gone as stiff as a board.

I sigh inwardly, flexing my newly healed wrist._ I'd better sort this one out then..._

Meeting Sokka's mischievous gaze, I let a large lazy smile coat my own mouth. "Why, Sokka?" I say, tapping a finger on my chin. "You jealous? Did you want Zuko all to yourself?"

Toph snickers and Zuko chokes back a bray of laughter. Sokka's smile wavers ever so slightly when Suki turns to him angrily. "Yeah, Sokka. Is there something you need to tell me?"

Sokka looks panic-stricken as he turns hurriedly to his girlfriend. "No, Suki!" he splutters, dropping his stick of meat as he gestures wildly. "It's not what you think, I swear–"

Everyone bursts into laughter. In the end Sokka begins to join in as well, but not before chucking a bit of dirty meat in my direction that I swiftly dodge. Suki sends me a subtle wink and I respond with a smile, deciding that she's alright.

As the laughter dies down, Aang settles back with a satisfied sigh and looks around. "Wow, camping," he states. "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"

There are murmurs of agreement around the fire and I find myself nodding along as well, though I'd never been camping in my life.

"If you really want it to seem like old times I could," Zuko says, breaking a piece of bread in half. He clicks his tongue as he pretends to consider and I smile. "Er, chase you around a while and try and capture you."

Everyone laughs apart from me, who for one has no idea what he's talking about, and Katara who is looking sullen and moody, emitting a sarcastic "Haha".

I frown. What's eating _her_?

Sokka raises his glass. "To Zuko!" He cheers. "Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero!"

We all raise our own cups, excluding Katara, with a "Hear, hear!"

_Though my confusion just seems to be mounting_, I think taking a sip of my drink.

Aang and Toph playfully jab Zuko in the arm, almost making him spill his drink. There's a slight wince from Toph's punch, as expected, but he's beaming.

"I'm touched," he says and I feel a sense of pride towards him. Finally he's been accepted (from most people anyway, _Katara_) by these people, something he's strived towards over the past several days he's been with them. His smile drops and he stares down into his cup. "I don't deserve this."

I'm about to contradict him when Katara jumps in front. "Yeah," she says, "No kidding." I'm surprised when I hear that there's actual acidity in her words. She stands up and stalks away, melting into the darkness as she leaves the warm glow of the fire.

"What's with _her_?" Sokka asks raising an annoyed eyebrow at his sister.

Zuko stands as well. "I wish I knew."

He walks off and jogs to catch up with Katara, as she moves further away from camp. I frown, sipping some more water from my cup as I try and make sense of all of this.

"What's with _him_?" Sokka says, sounding exasperated.

Toph shrugs, taking Zuko's food for herself. "Hormones?"

We watch them until they disappear, a heavy tension slowly taking root over the campfire.

"So," Suki says uneasily. "That was… odd."

There are a few awkward nods. I turn to Aang. "What did Zuko mean by 'running around trying to capture you'? And the bit where Sokka said about snuffing you guys out. What was he talking about?"

"Oh," Aang shifts uncomfortably. "Yeah well, um, last winter when Katara and Sokka found me in the iceberg–"

My eyes widen. "You were in an _iceberg_?"

There's a pause.

"Hmm," Toph says, tearing a chunk of meat off her stick with her sharp teeth and swallowing. "You've got a lot to catch on, Peachy."

"Yeah," I stop and blink. "Wait, what did you just call me–"

"Look," Sokka cuts in. "A _lot_ has happened since we met Aang, and before we met you Seria. Some of which may even seem too weird for you to believe." He chuckles. "Heh, there's lots I still can't believe that happened. I mean, getting kidnapped by a spirit and being trapped in the Spirit World for twenty-four hours! How does science explain _that_?"

"Really? You went to the Spirit World?" I say, surprised. I had no idea Sokka had been to there as well. I remember the floating rocks in Sho's desert and grin. "It's weird isn't it?"

"Beyond creepy," Sokka agrees.

"You think _that's_ creepy?" Aang sniggers mischievously. "Try facing a spirit that can steal your face if you show any glimpse of emotion."

This time, we all exclaimed in surprise. So this wasn't just news for me; it seems Aang hadn't told anyone else. There was a collective silence as we all stared at the campfire. Sokka poked it absent-mindedly and Toph threw her stick that was now empty of meat into the fire. It caught alight with a substantial pop of sparks, the animal fat fuelling the flames momentarily.

"Well," I say softly, resting my head on my knees. "I'm not going anywhere."

They all look at each other, unspoken conversation heavy in the air, before Aang grins widely. "This is going to be the best campfire story you've ever heard…"

_**Zuko's POV**_

I storm into my tent, furiously thinking over what I'd just learnt from my 'talk' with Katara. The 'talk', being me trying to reason with her as she yelled at me. Why was she acting like this? I hadn't done anything _wrong_.

Well, apart from trying to capture the Avatar for most of the time... And using her as bait for the Avatar when I was with those stupid pirates… And maybe I did betray her when in Ba Sing Se and went on Azula's side…

I stop pacing and bury my head in my hands.

..._What is wrong with me?_

With a growl of frustration, I knead my hands into the side of my head, wishing I could reach in and dig out all the painful memories. Katara's right. I really don't deserve these people's trust. I don't belong with them.

I don't belong anywhere.

Unsteadily, I sit down on the floor and bow my head, letting the shame and regret wash over me. Wishing that I hadn't made so many mistakes. Wishing I could make it all up somehow.

Later on, I hear someone come in and even before I lift my head up, I know it's Seria's. Her light tread is unmistakable.

There's a pause as she comes and sits down next to me.

"How are you doing?" she asks.

I take a deep breath. "She hates me."

I watch her frown. "Well, she doesn't know what you're capable of."

"I think she does," I groan thinking of more numerous attacks all of them. "Trust me when I say, you don't know the half of it."

There's a pause before she answers. "Actually, I do."

I look up surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I know all about your meddling with Aang and you're obsessive fetish for honour."

I stare at her, ignoring the jibe. "How…?"

"Aang told me everything after you left." She shrugs.

I swallow. "And… You don't hate me for it?"

"Of course not!" Seria exclaims. She looks at me strangely, as if I'm some kind of crazy person, but I'm just relieved that there was no hesitation from her. "You're still _Zuko_. It seems we've all had pretty crap pasts and do you know what? I'm sick of all these scarring–" I flinch and lift a hand to touch my bad eye. She notices and shakes her head. "Sorry, bad word. All these… _damaging_ memories that don't have anything to do with who we are now and yet they still continue to affect us."

"Yeah, but you've always been the victim," I say. "_I_ was the one who was bad and messing up people's lives. _Me_. Not anyone else."

She unexpectedly reaches out and puts a hand to my cheek, turning my head to meet her gaze. "Listen to me," she says, her eyes blazing. "I know you are _good_, Zuko. Even if you don't see it, it's there. What about when you decided to save me when you didn't even know who I was? Or when you chose to help the Avatar and go against your father? That's not what a 'bad' person does."

I stay silent. I can't speak, wondering why she believes that so strongly. She kisses me lightly on the and I put my arms round her, letting the silence envelope us until we can just pretend that's it just us.

And for the time being, I can let myself pretend for once.

**.:oOo:. **

Time passes, enough for me to believe that she'd fallen asleep long ago, when I hear her yawn before she speaks again.

"Well," she says. "It seems I have a new nickname."

"Hmm?" I ask a little out of it. I had been about to fall asleep.

"Yeah," she says. "Peachy."

I choke on a laugh and turn to look at her, an eyebrow raised. "_Peachy_?"

"Yeah," she makes a face. "When we were talking… Toph called me Peachy. But I'm not sure why. I _hate _moon peaches, she knows that."

I smile. "I haven't exactly heard it face to face yet, but I hear she's got her own nickname for me too."

"Oh yeah?" she says, turning to face me. "What is it then?"

I meet her gaze coolly. "Sparky."

We look at each other for a moment longer before we start laughing. It seems so ridiculous that I can laugh and joke around when outside the world's at war and my father continues to plague every corner of the earth, but for once I realise I don't care right now.

The laughter dies and there's a pause. Then she whispers: "So what are you going to do? About Katara, I mean – not the nicknames."

I breathe out and let her go. Seria shifts and settles opposite me, watching me expectantly. "She kept going on about her mother or something. I have an idea to talk to Sokka and find out what's going on. It feels as if she's blaming me somehow."

Seria nods slowly. "Talk to Sokka. Maybe you'll find out what you need to do then."

"What I need to do? Do you mean; to make Katara like me?"

"No," She says sleepily, exhaustion suddenly evident in every movement she makes. She sets back her head against the tent's wall and closes her eyes. Her breathing slows but she says one last thing that will stay with me for the rest of the night. "To make her see the _real_ you."

I smile as she goes quiet, staring at the ceiling until her breathing becomes deep and steady. I shift towards Seria and gently lay her down on the floor, trying not to wake her as I spread a blanket across. Then I step over her towards the opening of the tent.

I pause in the doorway, looking back at the sleeping form, before I quietly slip out of the tent and into the night.


	4. Remember

_**Remember**_

_**Seria's POV**_

I was dreaming about the desert again.

I had opened my eyes and found myself in a familiar barren wasteland, the hues too bright to be real. Of course, I didn't really open my eyes – in the real world I was still asleep in a tent – but in this strange limbo of consciousness, I would wake up on the ground as if from a slumber, my vision struggling to adjust to this weird world full of sharp colour.

The desert never seemed to change, as if time itself held no power over this place. There was the same rust-coloured sand, the same eerie floating rocks and the same hyper-blue sky stretching for miles above…

I never dreamt anymore, but I didn't mind. My old dreams were always full of nightmares and haunting memories anyway. Something that I could live without. Instead, it looked as if I was destined to wander the Spirit World in my sleep for the rest of my life. I think it's because of the link I had with Sho, that somehow once my spirit had a taste of this world, it couldn't detach itself so the connection was never completely severed.

I – or rather, the projection of myself – sighed and stood up from the ground, dusting off the sand caught in the creases of my trousers. The grains slowly floated back to earth to mingle with the rest of the golden sand, never to be distinguished again.

Although it is now still, the desert is never quiet. There's a distant rush of noise, like sea waves breaking against the shore, nothing more than whispers on the wind. But I know that isn't possible as there's no ocean around for miles.

I drift around the landscape, exploring acquainted ground. I feel time shift around me but I didn't feel a part of it, as if the hours had turned into a river that I was no longer flowing in the currents. I began to run with my feet barely touching the ground in a random direction. This is something to amuse myself: To try and reach the edge of the desert. To find the source of the noise. An end to all this sand.

As I streak through the land, faster than I could ever run in real life, I look around and wonder if I would see Sho this time. Most times he doesn't show himself, but occasionally I do glimpse a black shadow in the distance, nothing more than a charcoal smudge against the blue sky before it disappears behind a rock.

Faster I run, laughing and giddy with something I can't explain. The sand is soft beneath my feet but it does not slow me down. There's nothing to hold me back and I simply feel _alive_.

That is until Sho appears right in front of me.

I skid to a stop, coming to a halt a foot away from the Spirit of Energy. Stunned, my eyes drink in the pulsing black body, the white mask and the strange symbols. I haven't been this close to him since that day on the cliff…

Realising that I was still gawking at him, I shut my mouth with difficulty and bow low.

"Sho," I greet respectively.

He nods in that massive and slow way he does and I say nothing. I expect him to drift away, for this to be just an accidental meeting, but to my surprise he speaks. "There is something you need to remember, Seria."

I look up at the mask astonished. "Yes?"

There's a pause and I shift around nervously.

"Pathways." His voice rumbles like an avalanche.

"Pathways?"

He stares at me with unblinking eyes, so dark and deep that I find myself lost and spinning into their bottomless pits. I can't look away when he speaks again. "_Sometimes humans will have the same destinations but different pathways."_

I swallow. "I-I don't understand…"

"Think about it," Sho says in such a commanding voice I couldn't disagree if I wanted to. "You won't remember this when you wake up. However it will come to you in time. And when it does, make the right choice."

Although I'm confused beyond all reason, I give a small nod. This seems to satisfy him and he turns around, slowly drifting away. I panic as I am suddenly filled with unanswered questions.

"Why am I here?" I blurt out, taking a step towards him. "Is it because you wanted to talk to me? Is that why I come here instead of dreaming? And why do I have to remember about these _pathways_? Is something going to happen?"

I am suddenly breathless and close my mouth, staring hard at the shadow's back in front of me. Sho slowly looks back around.

"You are here," he says deliberately. "Because it is my bidding that you are."

I bristle, annoyed that once again he has just ignored most of my questions. But I know better than to get on the wrong side of a spirit, so instead I ask: "Will I see you again?"

I realise that he's disappearing, steadily losing his substance and opacity. I don't know if I imagine it, but I think I hear the slightest sigh before he completely dissolves into the sands below, and I'm left staring at the spot where he disappeared.

The wind picks up and I brace myself, trying in vain to stay in the desert for a little longer. I'm not ready to leave just yet. I grit my teeth as sand buffets my face, but it is useless and I am spun away and thrown back into the physical world.

**Hey there guys! Hoping you're enjoying this story so far - I know I'm having fun writing it ;) Just a little notice to thank Omega- thEND, Momo da Munkee, sunflower 13 and Beth x for reviewing and letting me know what they think! And to all you awesome people who have favourite/followed this story, thank you as well! ^-^ Hehe I love getting reviews and knowing different opinions on the story so it would be great to have some more feedback. Update will come soon! ;D**

**Happy reading!**

**~Zozeebobs**


	5. Flower Necklaces

_**Flower Necklaces**_

_**Seria's POV**_

When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I notice is that Zuko wasn't there.

There was a slight moment of panic before I remembered the night before. Deciding that he'd just left to talk to Sokka or Katara, I stretched and curled up once more, gathering up the blankets around me and inhaling the just-there smell of woodsmoke and freshly picked leaves. I had no intention of falling back asleep though, rather just to stay there and to listen to the birdsong outside until the sun was higher.

I felt slightly fuzzy. I had a sense that last night's dream had been different to all the other times I'd ended up in Sho's desert, but I didn't know _why_. Was I supposed to do something? After a few moments of struggling to remember, I gave up and settled down once more into the many folds of the blankets, choosing not to worry about it.

Eventually, sunlight spilled through the open flap of the tent as the morning mellowed, filling it with a soft orange glow. With a hand I try to shake off my bed-head and, after grumbling when I realised I was just making it worse, went outside into the fresh morning air.

I find Aang already up. I can see him tending to Appa near some rocks where the bison had chosen to slumber for the night. Aang was grooming him with a huge cone with sharp teeth, teasing out huge clumps of fur. He spots me and waves as I come over.

"Morning," he says when I reach him.

I smile. "You're up early, Aang."

"I guess so," He shrugs, going back to grooming Appa. "Old habit. Back with the monks it was normal to wake up at dawn."

"Ugh," I scrunch up my nose, leaning down to rub Appa's stomach. Thinking about the day of the cliff, I frown deeply and find that my voice is low. "I could never be a monk."

He laughs, not picking up the shame I feel. "Not many people find it easy sleeping lightly. But the best part of the day is early in the morning. The air is clean and fresh from the night before, the atmosphere filled with the promise of a new day."

Smiling, I punch him playfully. "You _sound_ like a monk. So…" I gesture wildly as if in thought._ "Wise. _And… enlightened of the universe's cosmic energy."

"Guess it's a good thing I'm the _Avatar_ then," he says grinning.

"Hey, isn't Sokka meant to be the sarcastic one?" I say. Right on cue, there's a giggle behind us and we turn to see Sokka emerge from his tent drowsily, smiling like an idiot. He spots us and waves madly, skipping over in such a way Aang and I snicker. "Speaking of which…"

"Good morning, Seria!" Sokka says when he's made it over, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "And to you too, Aang! And Appa. Momo." He nods his head at each greeting, but suddenly trails off at the end and looks around, slightly lost. "Well, wherever that lemur is anyway…"

"You seem to be in a good mood, Sokka," I remark, subtly peeling off his arm.

"You bet I am!" he replies bouncing over to Aang and slapping him hard on the back, making him stumble. "Things are good today, aren't they buddy?"

"Something happen?" Aang asks, shaking out a bag of hay for Appa. He's turned away from Sokka and I see he's hiding a smile.

"Did something happen, you ask? Does it show? Ah, very well I'll tell you!" Sokka says happily, clapping his hands together and looking into the distance dreamily. "I am in _looove_!"

Aang and I spare a glance at each other before turning back to him.

"You okay, Sokka?" I ask him. "Not drunk or anything?"

"Cactus juice?" Aang suggests.

Sokka looks affronted. "No, no, no, no! I am simply…" He struggles to find the right word. "Dizzy! Yes – that's it! _Dizzy_ with… love's _enthralling_ spell!"

A look of wonder again takes hold of Sokka's face. Aang looks at me nodding. "Cactus juice."

"No!" Sokka exclaims. "Why don't you believe me? I just confessed to you–"

"Don't worry, Sokka, I believe you," I say patting him on the back before he can say anymore. "You obviously have a huge thing going on for Suki."

Sokka looks at me pleased before turning back to Aang, pointing an accusing finger. "_He_ doesn't believe me," he mumbles childishly.

"Hey!" Aang cries. "I never said I didn't believe you…" A cheeky and mischievous grin appears on his face. "I just implied that you'd found some more cactus juice that's all."

Sokka huffs and I have to cover a laugh with a hand. Sokka looks deep in thought and I once again exchange a worried glance with Aang, but he just shakes his head smiling and picks up the hay, hauling it over to Appa.

"A gift!" Sokka exclaims with such suddenness, Aang drop's the bag and the hay flutters into a pile on the ground. "I'm going to make her a gift! A lovely gift with hearts or flowers or something like that… _Seria_!" He whirls round to me and I jerk in surprise. "You're a girl! What should I do with flowers?"

"Er, give them to her?" I suggest but he waves it away with a wild flap of his hand.

"No, no, no! I can't do that! I need something original, something special. Something like–"

"A necklace?" Aang proposes.

Sokka's face lights up. "Yes! Perfect!" He warbles and with that, he bounds off towards the edge of the forest, plucking many flowers as he goes. We can hear him from where we stand, muttering to himself as he examines each one's colour, shape and size, trying to find the perfect ones.

"Ah…" I sigh, shaking my head. "Young love is so overwhelming."

"Tell me about it," Aang laughs softly as he continues to pile the hay in front of Appa. Smiling knowingly, I bend down to help and we work in silence, content with our own thoughts.

Sokka returns after a few minutes and I'm surprised to find that he has actually sacrificed a bit of his fishing line for the chord of the necklace. He thrusts the bundle of flowers and tangled fishing line at Aang, asking him to show him how to make a necklace. Setting down the hay, Aang patiently sits him down to teach him.

While Aang shows him this, I lounge next to Appa, playing around with some airbending while watching Aang's lesson unfold. Aang shows him different arrangements of flowers and weaving methods, until Sokka selects one to learn. Sokka is an impatient and clumsy weaver, but the spirits know that he is determined. His eyebrows are furrowed deeply as he concentrates hard on the necklace in his hands, watching Aang's hand movements and little flourishes with the thread intently. Eventually Sokka gets the hang of it and Aang quietly leaves him to it.

"Where did you learn that?" I ask in curiosity as Aang comes over again.

"Oh," He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, er, monks… also had a lot of free time."

I grinned and shot a little ball of air at him. "A little secret hobby, huh?"

"One of my many hidden talents," he counters and we both laugh, getting back to work on Appa.

We were happy. Just two friends messing about.

However – as always – it was short lived.

**.:oOo:.**

A while later, there was the sound of footsteps approaching behind us. Aang and I turned from the mountainous task of feeding Appa to find a grim Katara and Zuko walking towards us. I was surprised by the dark, determined and almost _murderous_ expression that held Katara's face.

"I need to borrow Appa," Katara says to Aang, not really giving him room for choice.

Aang is surprised but covers it smoothly, turning back round to the bison. "Why?" he asks lightly, trying to make a joke out of it. "Is it your turn for a little field trip with Zuko?"

"Yes," Katara says in a monotone. "It is."

Aang turns around worriedly at the undertone of menace in Katara's voice. I glance at Zuko who's standing behind her, looking for some explanation, but he just gives me a hard and steely look giving away nothing. Annoyed at the obfuscation, I go to stand behind Aang and cross my arms.

"Oh." Aang pauses, looking at them fretfully. "What's going on?"

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me," Katara answers. I see Sokka look up, open mouthed, before he sets down his near-finished necklace and stands up, uncertainty written all over his face.

"Sokka told me the story of what happened," Zuko says. He looks to Sokka before continuing. "I know who did it. And I know how to find him."

Aang frowns. "Um, and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?"

Katara looks at him for a second and there's a hint of genuine sadness and disappointment, before her resolute gaze returns. She shakes her head and exhales in a patronising way. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

Aang's back stiffens and I know he's hurt. Sighing, I put a hand on his shoulder and turn to her as she walks away. "Katara," I call warningly. She stops, but doesn't turn round.

Aang takes a deep breath and steps forward. "I _do _understand," he says with feeling. "You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage." I close my eyes as unwanted memories push through the barriers of my mind. A house burning. A prison cell. "How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Firenation when I found out what had happened to my people?"

"Or when my _entire_ _family_ _was_ _murdered_?" I mutter quietly, clenching my fists. Only Sokka hears me and gives me a sympathetic look.

"She needs this, Aang," Zuko says and I fix a harsh gaze on him. "This is about getting closure and justice."

"I don't think so," Aang says. "I think this about getting revenge."

"Fine!" Katara exclaims. "Maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need. Maybe that's what he _deserves_."

"_Revenge_ is not everything, Katara," I say bitterly, attracting everyone's attention. I look at her. "Trust me, I've been there. It doesn't bring you _closure_." I glare at Zuko who has the decency to look sheepish. I soften my voice. "It's just one more bad thing after another. You need something to separate yourself from them; don't let this man pull you down to his level. You're better than that. You have a heart."

Katara looks as if she's considering changing her mind and I'm hopeful, but then shakes her head and the severe face returns.

"I understand what you've been through, Seria," Katara says quietly. "And I'm sorry for that. But _I_ am not _you_. I can handle this. This man needs to be brought to justice."

"Katara," Aang says softly. "You sound like Jet."

Katara whips round, anger blazing in her eyes. "It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a _monster._"

"Katara, she was my mother too," Sokka says, stepping forward. "But I think Aang might be right."

Her eyes narrow. "Then you didn't love her the way _I_ did!"

"Katara!" Sokka exclaims brokenly. There's a distraught look on his face and I think the old Katara briefly comes back as she turns away in guilt.

Aang looks down despondently. "The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper: While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"That's cute." I glare at Zuko disbelieving as he speaks again. "But this isn't Air Temple preschool. It's the real world."

"Now that I know he's out there, now that I know we can find him," Katara murmurs, locking her steely gaze on us. "I feel like I have no choice."

"You do have a choice," Aang says slightly exasperated. "_Forgiveness_."

"That's the same as doing nothing!" Zuko is suddenly angry.

"No, it's not!" Aang counters. "It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive."

"It's not just hard," Katara says. "It's impossible."

No one can find anything to say to that and before we can stop her, she walks away. After ignoring a pleading look from me, Zuko follows her as well and they disappear into a tent.

There's a collective silence as Aang, Sokka and I look around dumbstruck, not quite believing how this morning has turned out. Aang mumbles about meaning to spar with Toph and wanders off to find her. Sokka walks mechanically back to his flower necklace and continues where he's left off, the enthralling-love-spell utterly smashed.

Not really having much to do, I sit next to him and watch. I notice he's made quite a few. There are about five of them now, all laid out in colourful lines.

"Are these all for Suki?" I gesture to the piles of flower necklaces next to him.

"It's quite therapeutic," Sokka admits, pulling another blue flower through the cord. "You get into it."

I say nothing and after a slight hesitation, I pick up a string of fishing line. I fumble to find the end and attempt to prod it through a flower, trying to remember how Aang had done it.

"Stop!" Sokka says immediately, reaching over to tug the fishing line out of my grasp. "You're doing it completely wrong. You've got to loop it through like this."

He selects a purple flower and eases the fishing line through, coiling it around the yellow centre. He hands it to me. "Now you try."

I pick up a flower from the pile and try to do it again, but I tug too hard and rip the petals. Feeling slightly guilty, I try again and loop the fishing line through and although the knot isn't perfect, it holds the flower together. Grinning, I lift it up and Sokka applauds me.

"Not bad," He says grinning. "Try another year or so and you might be able to make a daisy chain."

I growl and chuck a flower at him as he snickers.

_Yep, Sokka the Sarcasm Guy is back_, I think to myself, half annoyed yet half relieved as I turn back to the necklace. _But I think preferred the Under-Love's-Enthralling-Spell-Sokkka. At least he didn't have such a motor mouth…_

I sigh heavily and carry on threading flowers. Luckily, he doesn't make any more comments and I can work peacefully.

"Do you think she'll do it?" Sokka asks in a low voice after ten minutes or so. I turn to him but he's still frowning at the necklace in his hand. "You know… _kill_ the guy who did it? Could she do that?"

There's a pause as I think about it, before I shake my head. "I'm not sure," I tell him. "But I hope that when the time comes, she'll know what to do. You know, she's had to grow up a lot faster than a normal girl would at her age. All of us have." I gesture around. "So hopefully, Katara knows what she's doing." I shrug and get back to my flower necklace. "Who knows? This might really be what she needs."

"Let's hope so," he mutters. "I wouldn't want things to go wrong for her. As annoying as she can be, she's still my sister."

"Of course."

Sokka sighs wearily. "I'm so going to kick her butt when she gets back," he states and I laugh, knowing very well whose butt would actually get kicked if he'd have the nerve to.

"Give her some leeway," I try to persuade him, in fear for his health. "She'll come around."

He nods slowly and I realise that he's only half listening, too wrapped up in his own thoughts and his flower necklace to respond. I sigh resignedly and choose a bright yellow blossom, adding it to the throng of flowers. For some reason that despite what Katara said, I have a feeling that she wouldn't do it. My gut instinct just tells me she's not that sort of person. Even when twisted by rage, she'll still have a clear head when the time is right.

I should talk to Zuko as well. Maybe even apologise for jumping down his throat earlier… But not after he apologises to me first. I don't like this tension between us. There shouldn't be any. Zuko's just trying to help Katara after all. Though when I meant for him to try and get Katara to like him, helping her _kill_ someone wasn't exactly my idea of quality bonding time. No, I'll talk to him tonight and get this sorted out.

I suddenly look down at the flower necklace on my lap and can't help but smile faintly.

Guess these things really are therapeutic.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

Well, let's just say it didn't work.

The main reason being that Zuko didn't actually _leave_ the tent once so I didn't see him for the rest of the day. And I wasn't sure I wanted to go seek him out in Katara's presence. So here I sat on the edge of the cliff, angry with both him and Katara. And myself, of course. But that was nothing new.

Sokka had gone off to find Suki and give her the necklaces – I can still hear her cooing over them in the tent behind me. It was sweet, but the smug look on Sokka's face for some reason irked me, though everything seems annoying at the moment. Even this beautiful summer sunset and the sea seems too cliché and psychedelic to be beautiful.

Growling in frustration, I kick a stone over the edge of the cliff with my shoe. At least it's simple for _them_.

I hear footsteps stomping towards me.

"Hey, Peachy!" Toph says, plopping down next to me with a moonpeach clutched in her right hand. "Rough day already?"

I grimace at the sight of the fruit, but manage to ignore it. "You could say that…"

"Sugar Queen blowing a tantrum?"

I turn to her surprised. "How did you know?"

"Could hear it from a mile away." She shrugs. "Even Suki heard it. Sounded pretty serious." She pauses. "You know… They're going to do it anyway."

"They are?"

She nods. "Heard them talking in their tent. Sugar Queen doesn't care if Aang says no, they're going to take Appa at around midnight when everyone's asleep. She's pretty determined." She takes a bite of the abominable fruit and juice drips down her chin. She waggles her finger at me. "Now I'm not normally one to snitch, but I think Katara is getting herself into a whole lot of trouble. Try and talk some sense into her."

"I will, Toph. I've been trying to talk to Zuko as well but he's still with Sugar– _Katara_. You know, in their secret tent.

"This is so unfair," She huffs. "Why don't _I_ get a special field trip with Zuko?"

I laugh. "You know, they're not all they're made out to be. Why don't you have one with Sokka instead?"

"Think I'll pass on that," she says standing up quickly. Her nose twitches and she turns her head in the direction of the campfire. "Smells like food's ready. You wanna come?"

I glance in the direction of her hooked thumb and see Suki cooking some kind of stew, a flower necklace draped around her neck, as Sokka watching her lovingly. I grimace. I guess I could stand the lovebirds for an hour. Besides, I need some distraction. And food.

"Yeah, ok," I say standing up slowly. Maybe I just need to eat something and then I wouldn't feel so bad. I glance at the moonpeach, still clutched in her hand. "Just get that revolting and pathetic excuse for a fruit away from me!"

**.:oOo:.**

I woke up at around midnight and look around, shaking my head to rid myself from another dream of an empty desert. Aang's form was asleep in the corner of the tent we were temporary sharing, curled up in the foetal position. For some reason, he looked so… fragile and childlike when he was asleep, as if he was trying to sleep away the worries and weight of the world.

Quietly standing up into a crouch, I untangled myself out of my blankets and gently shook Aang's shoulder. He wakes and I put my finger to my lips.

"I think I heard them go past," I whisper.

He yawns and rubs an eye, nodding sleepily. "I'll go wake up Sokka."

We exit the tent into the cool night air and Aang melts into the night. I shiver and on a second thought, grab a blanket from the tent and drape it around my shoulders. I tiptoe over to where we were this morning and press myself against a large rock, out of sight if they were to get Appa. I could hear the bison's snores from here.

Aang comes, dragging a very bedraggled and complaining Sokka behind him.

"Why does it always have to be in the middle of the night?" he's whining as he comes over. "I'm never going to get a decent night's sleep!"

We shush him and peer over the other side of the rock. Zuko and Katara are packing bags onto Appa's saddle, obviously about to leave to find this man. We three exchange angry glances before we jump over the rock and came into view. Zuko looks round slightly surprised at our presence but Katara kept her back to us, continuing to tie up her hair. A cold gust of wind blows and I tighten my hold on the blanket around my shoulders, trying to keep from shivering.

"So you were just going to take Appa anyway?" Aang says angrily.

"Yes," says Katara's back. She shoots a challenging glare over her shoulder at Aang.

Aang sighs. "That's okay, because I forgive you." He pauses. "Did that give you any ideas?"

Katara just looks at him. "Don't try to stop us."

"We weren't planning to," I say and Katara looks in disbelief, but her eyes then go back to Aang as he speaks again.

"This is a journey you need to take," he says levelly. "You need to face this man."

Katara nods at Aang and climbs on top of Appa's head.

"But when you do, please don't choose revenge," Aang says, coming to stand beside Appa. "Let your anger out and then let it go. Forgive him."

We are all a bit taken aback by this sudden profanity. Wasn't this the same guy who several hours ago was teaching Sokka the different ways to make a flower necklace?

"O-kay," Zuko says, looking equally creeped out. "We'll be sure to do that Guru-Goody-Goody."

"_Guru-Goody-Goody_?" I laugh at him. "Seriously? Is that the best you can come up with?"

Zuko looks to me and grins. "Maybe not… _Peachy_."

I clench the blanket around my neck tighter as I come up to him and poke him in the chest. "Don't you even go there, _Sparky_."

"Sparky?" Sokka snickers behind me.

"Touché," Zuko says quickly, putting his hands up either side in surrender. "Enough of the nicknames now."

"Just because I won," I tease and he shakes his head.

"Not even close."

I laugh, glad that we were okay with one another again. I give him a quick hug and he clambers onto Appa.

Katara looks to Aang one last time. "Thanks for understanding."

Aang nods sadly and then they take off, disturbing a lot of dirt at the powerful stroke of Appa's tail. Zuko and I don't break eye contact until we're too far away to see each other anymore.

"You know," Sokka says to Aang as they fly further away. "You're pretty wise for a kid."

"Thanks, Sokka."

"Most of the time it's annoying, but now I'm just impressed."

I can't help but laugh at that bit and Aang sends me a slightly exasperated look. "I appreciate that."

"_So_…" Sokka says, shifting from foot to foot. "Can I borrow Momo for a week?"

Our heads whip round to look at Sokka.

"Why do you want to borrow Momo?" Aang asks and Sokka just shrugs.

I shake my head grinning. "Sokka, you kinky bastard."

**.:oOo:.**

I stay there way after they'd disappeared from sight.

Sokka and Aang had returned back to their tents and must've fallen asleep ages ago. I had no reason to go back to the tent just yet. The moon was full and the stars were out; I could stay out here for a little longer.

Momo had joined me from a night-hunt and, after declining the kind offering of the head of a cavehopper, I allowed him to settle next to me. I think even he was asleep. I stroke the lemur's fur absent-mindedly as I continue to stare at the little patch of sky Appa had last been, wishing that I could've come with them. But Zuko can handle himself and he has Katara to back him up.

They'll be fine, I know that.

Then why do I feel so bad about this?

**Yes! Another chapter done! Hope you guys liked it ^^** **Wow there's loads of you guys now – That's amazing! I am constantly checking my emails for notices and was surprised to have found a lot of activity going on with this story – Woohoo! Thanks to everyone who has favourite and followed this story – it means a lot! A million 'thank you's to the reviewers Omega thEND, Aeris, sunflower13, Momo da Munkee and TenshiAme – you guys are all awesome. Next chapter I promise the action will begin and thanks for being patient with this story.**

**~Happy reading!**


	6. Compromise

_**Compromise**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"Seria catch!" Toph shouts.

"Wha-" I had no time to finish the sentence as I get a face full of dirty laundry.

It falls away from my head and I can see Toph and Sokka lying a rock together, laughing and clutching their stomachs. I gag as I pull away a dirty sock from my nose.

"_What is this?_" I ask angrily, flapping the dirty thing around.

"Well, Katara normally does the washing," Sokka says, wiping a tear from his eye. "But since she's not here I guess it's up to you since you're, you know, a _girl_."

"Me?" My eyes widen in horror. "Wait, what about Suki? Or you Toph?"

"You're the oldest." Toph shrugs.

"But I'm not a waterbender!" I argue. "How am I meant to clean these?"

"Well, the sea's down there," Sokka says, pointing over my shoulder. "And there's soap–"

"In the bison's saddle," I finish. "Which is gone with Katara and Zuko."

He shrugs. "I guess you could improvise."

Narrowing my eyes, I flick the sock at Sokka and, with the help of a little bit of airbending, it slaps him right in the face. Toph falls off the rock laughing as Sokka scrunches up his face in disgust.

"Fine, I'll do it," I snap, picking up all the laundry off the ground. "But I want a double serving of dinner tonight."

"No fair!" Toph shouts as I walk away.

"Hey!" I turn and see Sokka peeling the sock away from his face. "What about my sock? It's from my favourite pair."

"That's yours?" I snort, reaching the end of the cliff. "You can keep it."

Before he can chuck it back, I quickly jump off the side onto the nearest outcrop of rock, blowing out gusts of air from my mouth to soften the fall. I hop down the cliff until I get to the small beach at the bottom. I chuck the pile onto the sand and begin to sort through them. I realise that it mostly consists of Toph's and Sokka's clothes. Actually, most of it is Sokka's.

Grumbling, I begin to scrub the clothes furiously in the waves, not really sure how to do it. But I wasn't focused on the task…

Why was I here cleaning Sokka's trousers when I could be helping Zuko and Katara? It didn't feel right, as if I needed to be somewhere else. Well, somewhere in particular. The frustration built and I scrubbed at the clothes harder, muttering angrily to myself like a madman.

Something suddenly splats on my nose and I jump before I realise it was just water. I look up towards the sky and realise for the first time the dark grey clouds above. Further out to sea, I can actually see the rain coming towards me, like a great wall of water advancing.

After a slight hesitation, I stand up and discard the trousers as I do. Something faraway registers the fact that Sokka's going to kill me later, but it seems unimportant. A slight throbbing hum has started behind my eyes and in the centre of my forehead, building up into a headache.

I close my eyes and lift my head up as the gentle pitter-patter of rain ascended into a huge roar and the first fat drops smacked into my cheeks. I'm soaked in seconds.

Exhaustion suddenly sweeps over me so strong that I fall back into the sand, but can't find the motivation to pull myself back up. So I just lay there and close my eyes as the rain continues to pound into me, shivering from the cold while my forehead continues to burn. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a while and then my head will stop throbbing.

_Maybe_…

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

We were silent as we walked back to where we'd hidden Appa. Katara walks in front of me, her shoulders shaking as she cries quietly. I pretend not to notice and keep my head down, staring solemnly at the path that's filled with puddles and mud. Rain drips down my chin and nose as it continues to pour from the sky.

Thinking back over the confrontation, I'd wonder for a moment if I should've finished the pathetic man off myself, not just for Katara's sake but for my own as well.

He had made me sick. There had been absolutely no remorse or a shred of good in him, just a self-destructive selfishness that poisoned everything he touched like a disease.

I think of the conversation in the tent I had with Seria and I start feeling a little hopeful. That maybe there _is _something that can distinguish what's right and wrong inside of me. At least I can understand what it so plainly _wrong_.

I frown and pull up the mask to hide it. I was missing her. It was stupid and a bit pathetic but the thought of her not being near to me made me feel slightly… weird. I didn't feel quite the same when she wasn't there.

I suddenly bump into Katara. She's stopped.

"What is it?" I ask but she says nothing.

I look in the same direction and my mouth opens wide. The small bay that is normally so peaceful and calm is choked with Fire Navy ships, all poised and ready to attack.

And our only way out of here was in a clearing right next to the beach.

"Get on Appa," I whisper after a shocked silence. "_Now_!"

A soon as the word had escaped my mouth, an enormous flaming rock crashes into the forest beside me. We dive to the side as sparks shower over us, steam hissing as the flames make contact with the rain. They'd already spotted us.

I drag Katara back up and we run through the thick forest towards the beach, more catapulted rocks crashing into the vegetation around us as we go. My eyes sting from smoke and I can barely see, the acidic smell of sulphur burning my nose.

Finally, we break through the trees and into the clearing to where we hid Appa. I grab the reins and Katara just has time to grab onto the side of the saddle before I kick the bison into gear, steering him non-too-gently towards the ships, meaning to fly over them. They shouldn't be ready yet and wouldn't get a chance to fire, which would give us more than enough time to escape.

Then I see the flags; Sea Ravens.

_Oh shit_.

"Zuko!" Katara shouts as she struggles to pull herself on board. "Slow down! We can outrun them easily! We're almost clear of them already."

I shake my head, gripping the reins harder. "You don't understand. Southern Raider ships have–" There's a strong whirring noise from below and I spin around, my good eye widening. "Nets." I mutter.

The net was weighed down by four weights on each corner and was flying straight towards us. It wasn't too big, but it didn't mean it couldn't wrap itself around the bison's legs and make us drop out of the sky.

I don't think. I simply throw a slither of fire at it and manage to slice a hole in it before it can reach us. It rips in half and spins away, the metal balls flying past inches away from my head. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Nets?" Katara says. "They won't be a problem!"

I look around worriedly. "That isn't all they have up their sleeves..."

"What?"

There's a whoosh of disturbed air and my heart sinks as there's the distinguished crack of something metallic. I turn to see a rapidly approaching steel-wired net that was bigger than the bison in diameter, weighed down by even heavier metal balls each one the size of my head. I'd been hoping that they wouldn't have had time to set them up. They must've been prepared. Katara sees it as well and her hand moves to her pouch to slice the net with water, but it won't work. Neither would my fire.

In a last effort I try and steer the bison to the right, but I already know it's too late.

"Brace yourself!" I shout to Katara, just as the metal trap closes around us.

I find myself suddenly pulled against the bison's head, my left arm trapped against one of its horns underneath the metal links. There's a scream from Katara as we start to fall towards the sea. Hopefully the saddle has sheltered her somewhat. I'm lucky as the horns have given the rest of my body space to move around; at least it was only one arm. I hear the bison's loud growls of distress as it struggles to free itself, making the whole net shift against my arm uncomfortably.

The sea below is getting closer.

I grit my teeth and try and kick the net off my arm, using a bit of fire to try and melt the net. Wrong move. The bison begins freaking out even more and I can't help but cry out as my arm gets twisted. My breathing hitches as I realise we are about to crash, and I curl into myself as I brace for impact.

There's a huge splash and my body slams against the bison's head, wrenching my arm free. Everything goes dark as the cold sea-water hits me like a wall. I gasp and bubbles come out of my mouth and sea water rushes into my nose and eyes.

I clap a hand over my mouth to stop any more air escaping and try to focus on the blurry shape of the net in front of me. We're sinking; the weight of the net is dragging us down further.

Salt stings my eyes and I'm running out of breath. I wish I had my swords with me as firebending is near useless underwater, only a little heat can be produced but I'd drown before the net's metal even begins to melt.

Unexpectedly, the net goes slack and I see a figure swimming around the bison. It's Katara. She slices the net in front of me with water bending and it falls away, freeing both me and the bison. I swim away and begin to kick wildly towards the surface, lungs beginning to collapse from the lack of air. As I'm halfway there, I realise I'm not going to make it. My chest hurts badly and black spots begin to appear at the edge of my vision and I swim as fast as I can.

I need to take a breath _now_.

Suddenly, the water around me surges and I shoot up towards the sky, breaking the blue surface with a loud gasp for air. I spit out sea water and blink it out of my eyes, breathing heavily. Katara suddenly appears next to me, breathing in the air deeply, followed swiftly by the large and furry head of the bison.

"Thanks." I splutter and cough out more sea water. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she says. She shakes her head rapidly and water flies off. She swims towards Appa and takes his reins, looking around. "But not for long."

A huge looming shadow passes over us, turning the water we're swimming in a dark blue. I look up and I see that the ships had made a tight circle around us. I swear softly.

We were surrounded.


	7. Leaving

_**Leaving**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"Seria?" A voice comes from far away and I realise that I recognise it.

Opening my eyes, I stare in confusion at the blur of faces hovering above me. "Aang?" I slur. "That you?"

"Of course it's me," Aang says and his shrill voice brings the faces together so I can see his cheerful one, looking down at me. Behind him the clouds are still grey but it's no longer raining. I begin to shiver as my wet and sandy clothes cling to me unpleasantly.

Suddenly everything comes rushing back and I remember what I'd just seen. "Zuko!" I exclaim, bolting upright. Everything sways and I groan as darkness threatens to wash over me again.

Aang puts a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright, Seria? You've been gone for a couple of hours. Sokka had to come and fetch me."

"A couple of hours? It was a few minutes, that's all," I tell him. He looks about to argue but I wave it away. "It doesn't matter. We have to leave, now."

"What?" Aang asks helping me up. "Why?"

"Zuko and Katara are in trouble." I watch his eyes widen and I begin to gush. "They're surrounded by Fire Navy ships, stuck in the water and they were shot down by these net things. I was watching it all happen. We've got to help them!"

He blinks. "How do you know all this?"

"I–I don't know." I shake my head. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think I was sleeping then I was suddenly there, running through the forest with them. I don't know how but I think I have Sho to thank for that…" I trail off.

Aang looks torn between confusion and panic. "Are you sure?"

I meet his gaze. "Absolutely."

Aang pauses for a second and his face becomes serious. He nods trustingly and I have to resist the urge to hug him and instead quickly leap up the cliff face, landing lightly back at the top where I come face to face with the inquiring stares of Toph, Suki and Sokka.

"Seria, are you okay?" Suki asks.

"Have a nice nap, Peachy?"

Sokka crosses his arms. "Why didn't you wake up when we called you?"

I frown. "I was… dreaming."

Before they can ask anymore, Aang hops up next to me with a flurry of air, holding a bundle of wet and sandy clothing. He throws it on the ground. "Seria says Katara and Zuko are in trouble."

"What?" Sokka's irritation disappears as he turns worried. He turns to me. "What makes you so sure?"

"I had a vision… Kind of," I say, cringing as I realise how bad that sounds.

Toph tilts her head frowning. "A _what_?"

"Look," Aang says stepping forward. "We are going to see if they need help anyway. Seria might be wrong, but if she's right… then I don't know if I could forgive myself if I wasn't there to help them." I throw Aang a grateful look.

"Why can't I come?" Sokka asks. "She's _my_ sister."

I look at him. "Can you fly a glider?"

He lifts his finger as if he's about to argue but falters. "Point taken."

"We'll be back in two or three days at most," says Aang moving away. "It would be faster if we had Appa, but our gliders will have to do. I'll get some supplies together."

I nod at him. As he goes, Sokka drops down and begins to sort through the pile of laundry. My heart sinks as I realise what he's looking for.

He looks up. "Er, Seria, where are my trousers?"

I cough and rub fiddle with the sash around my waist. "Oh, I guess you could say that they're kind of… Lost at sea."

"_What_?" Sokka groans. "Oh, that's just _perfect_. Now, I only have the pair left – and that one has a hole in it! Katara still needed to fix that."

"Which is also in Appa's saddle with Katara and Zuko," Toph reminds him.

Sokka's eyes widen and he throws his head back dramatically. "_Aw, come on_!"

"Not helping, Toph," I mutter walking away quickly. She's laughs behind me.

"Do you know how awkward it is," Sokka's still ranting. "Having to borrow your little sister's clothes?" I snigger as I know he's referring to the much-too-tight trousers that he's wearing.

"Still handsome to me," Suki says, and I hear some kissing noises before Toph's voice rings clear and loud across the empty space.

"Gross."

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

I stand on the edge of the cliff, my glider resting behind my back, looking out over the sea. We'd have to find them first. Go to some communications tower and find them, we had a map for that, thanks to Sokka. One left over from "The Day of Black Sun". It was a long shot, but hopefully we'd find them. If we had no luck, then we'd have no choice but to come back.

Aang comes up beside me with two bags full of food and water pouches and hands me one. Our supplies. It's heavy, but I strap it around my back without a word.

"Thanks for trusting me, Aang." I say after a while.

"No problem." I see him smile slightly out of the corner of my eye and he opens his glider. "But – no offence – I hope you _are_ wrong."

I sigh. "Me too."

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

I tread the water, fiercely trying to think my way out of this. One of the ships passes so close to us, I can make out the detail on the helmets and sneers of the soldiers on board. They're leaning over the side and grinning down at us, as if we were the fish and they were the fisherman.

_Which they are_, I think grimly.

I'm frowning up at them when I hear another whoosh of air as they launch another net at us. This time, Katara is the first one to react and she lifts a wall of water up in front of us and freezes it. The net slams into it, creating a thin crack. She continues to make a dome of ice around us as more nets are fired and stick to the outside walls of the icy defence.

"What do we do?" She shouts at me, her arms wavering as she tries to keep the dome from collapsing. "I can't keep this up forever!"

I look around, searching for a gap in the blockade. Suddenly there's a crack and we see another metal net, sticking to the side of the dome like some grotesque spider. It obscures half of the view.

"We could go underneath the boats," I say, relieved to actually have an idea. "But we'd have to dive deep, these ships are huge."

She nods. "Get ready and climb on Appa. We'll have to be quick."

I swim over to the bison's head and, gripping its wet fur, pull myself up.

"Now!" Katara shouts, climbing on board and creating a bubble of air around the bison's head. I slap the reins and urge the bison downwards…

Only for the damn thing to rear up, smashing into the suddenly terrified at the thought of going underwater and lashes out. Instead of going down, it kicks out with its feet and flies _upwards_, crashing through the protection of the ice dome and into the open air

"No!" I yell, trying to steer the bison back down. "Down not up, damn it!"

But it's useless; the bison won't go down and is climbing into the sky, trying to get clear of the ships.

Suddenly, there's a whoosh and before I can react, Katara is wrapped up in a net and yanked off the saddle, screaming as she goes.

"Katara!" I shout as she falls away. I stand up about to dive after her when my arms are suddenly drawn around me, my own net trapping me in its embrace. My feet are suddenly swept from under me and I'm falling – no being _pulled_ – towards another ship, a separate one to the one Katara was on. I struggle and kick out but before I can firebend, I slam into the deck of the ship.

I lay there winded as soldiers run over and shoving me this way and that as I try not to black out. I blink hard and when I open them, I realise that there are already ropes around my feet and hands.

"Nice shot, Tiro!" one of the soldiers to my right is saying as he slaps another on the back.

'Tiro' grunts behind me and continues to tighten my bonds.

I growl and twist around quickly, spewing fire from my mouth at him. Tiro leaps back, blocking the fire with his left arm and then swiftly knocking me round the head with the back of a hook dagger that appeared from nowhere. I slump forward stunned.

"Get him to the hold!" He shouts to two others, pulling me up. I realise suddenly that he only has one arm. The right arm comes to stop underneath the shoulder where a knot has been tied on the sleeve. He turns and catches me gawking at it. "Sorry, Prince Zuko, but don't let my appearance fool you. I'm as strong a firebender as anyone."

I swore at him as they dragged me kicking and sending out fire blasts in all directions to a prison cell in the ships belly.


	8. The Captain

**Zozeebobs ~ Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourite this story. And an even bigger thank you to the reviewers: Omega thEND, sunflower13 and Aeris! You are awesome people ;D To all you anonymous guys, please review and let me know what you think!**

_**The Captain**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

As soon as the door to one of the cells swings open, the bonds are cut away and I'm thrown inside. I land heavily on the metal floor and quickly leap at the door, only to have it slammed shut in my face and locked. I hiss through my teeth and grip the bars with both hands.

"Let me out!" I shout at them, pointlessly. "You have no right to keep me here!"

The one armed soldier pretends not to hear and just says, "The captain will be down soon."

Then he slips out of the room and the door slams shut, leaving me all alone with my anger.

How could I have been so stupid to get myself caught? I should've flown around the blockade, not straight through it! I wouldn't be as lucky to run clear of it twice in this life. What was I even _thinking_?

"Argh!" I roar, slamming my hands against the bars so that they rattle.

My anger begins to blaze out of control and I squeeze my eyes shut, breathing out a flicker of flame slowly. _Calm down…_

I sign and rest my head against the metal, wondering how Katara is fairing. She was on another ship to me so I had no way of knowing how she was fairing, but the crew seemed nothing compared to Chen and his soldiers.

_And where did that damn bison disappear to? _

Suddenly the door opens and a man wearing red armour and a more elaborate helmet than the rest of the crew walks in, followed by two others.

"You!" I snarl as I recognise him.

"Ah, you remember me don't you?" The man smiles, rolling back his right shoulder. _The same one I twisted behind his back_, I realise. "I definitely remember your little visit last night, Prince Zuko. Very clever of you and your friend, sneaking in here without being detected. We have the waterbender with us as well?" He looks to the other crew members who nod in affirmation. "Very good. And here I thought bloodbending was just a myth! Well, I guess you learn something every day, am I right?"

I interrupt him. "How did you know who I was?"

He turns back to me and taps the side of his face smiling. "I saw your scar. The mask was only covering your mouth, yes? I knew what you look like, so does everyone else in the Fire Nation, being the most wanted person in the Fire Nation – excluding the Avatar. And of course, we knew exactly where to find you." I wince. He _was_ the one who told us where to go... I realise that he's giving my a cool look and I scowl at him. "I'm guessing you found Yan Rha?" he asks.

I don't answer and he taps his foot as if impatient then shakes his head, laughing.

"I'll take that as a yes. You should know that I don't really care what happens to that man. A nasty piece of work he was. Old fashioned too." One of the crew members cough behind him and he suddenly claps his hands together. "At any rate, let's get back down to business, shall we?"

_Finally_, I think and watch as his stance becomes official, placing his arms behind his back and feet shoulder width apart.

"I am Captain Lau, the current leader of the Southern Raiders." He sounds as if he's reading off a script. "You will be kept here on my ship for three days and transported to the Fire Nation Capitol. There, you shall face a trial and, in this circumstance, Firelord Ozai himself – your father." He adds as an afterthought. "You will be tried and punished as the council and Firelord see fit for your crimes."

I bite back my dread and growl at him. "As if there's going to _be_ a trial. My father only wants me dead."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Captain Lau says turning away, waving at his crew to go out. They file out without a word. "He won't kill you. You're his son."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," I mutter quietly to myself, remembering the last time I saw my father.

I watch as Lau goes to walk out when he stops at the door and looks back, a hand resting on the door frame. "It's such a shame you've turned into a traitor," he says softly. "I had actually admired you before all this. Your drive to regain your family's honour during you banishment and choosing Azula's side, it was inspiring. And now, who would've thought…?" he shakes his head. "I guess you'll just have to answer to your mistakes when we reach the Capitol and hopefully, with the justice that will come, you'll see where you went wrong." I keep silent and he inclines his head. "Goodnight, Prince Zuko."

The door closes behind him and I'm left alone once again.

_**Seria's POV**_

We fly for a day, stopping only once to consume some of the food and water ravenously. The map Sokka gave us serves well and we reach the communication tower by nightfall and hide in a small cave in the cliff face below. We're starving and I hurriedly hand Aang a banana, peeling one for myself as well.

"How do we get in?" I ask through a mouthful after a silence.

Aang swallows. "There must be some kind of ventilation system somewhere. We could get in through there."

I think for a moment and listen to the hawks outside.

_Messenger_ _Hawks_…

It sparks an idea. "We could fly in with the hawks," I suggest. "No one should see us."

Aang peers outside the cave and glances up, nodding. "That could work well actually. We'll have to be careful though."

"Of course," I say, tossing a banana skin into the sea.

We pack up and silently unfurl our gliders before we take off, flying into the night and up towards the tower where the birds were circling a hole in the roof.

Ten minutes later and we're in the main data base of the tower, searching the rows of scrolls for the Southern Raiders. It's a relatively small room with a dizzying number of labels and parchments stacked neatly on shelves, fire lamps casting an orange glow which makes the tiles gleam wickedly, like some smiling teeth.

When we find the scroll of the Southern Raiders, we are surprised to see that it has already been tampered with. It was scrunched up slightly as if it had been hastily stuffed back in, whereas all the others are neatly rolled up and sealed.

"Do you think this was Zuko and Katara?" I ask Aang softly, running a finger over the broken seal. "It's not very sly of them."

Aang doesn't answer and I realise that he was no longer next to me. I turn around to see him by the door, peering out.

"Someone coming?" I ask in a whisper. He shushes me and turns his head back. Then I hear it, two pairs of shoes in the hallway outside becoming louder with each step they take.

I frantically wave Aang away from the door and we just have time to leap over a couple of shelves before two guards walk into the room. They're laughing and we press our backs against the shelves, not daring to breathe.

They walk over to the shelf we've hidden behind and it looks as if they're about to see us. My heart is beating frantically and I look to Aang who puts a finger to his lips. I roll my eyes at his obviousness and keep my hand on my glider, in case we're found and need to attack. But I needn't have worried. One of them leans against the other side of the shelf while the other one leans stands to the side over by the door frame, cutting off our exit.

Then they talk and keep on talking. About the best inns, the best food, the best women. Aang and I pull a face at each other as they make some particularly suggestive comments. I'm about to burst out in impatience when someone else rushes into the room with a flurry of footsteps and a rustle of paper.

"I have just received news from Captain Lau!" He shouts breathlessly and a letter flies across the room. "He has Prince Zuko and another prisoner and is bringing them back to the Fire Nation Capitol!" Aang and I look at each other in alarm, eyes wide with shock. They've been _captured_? "And here you are acting as if you're on some sort of break? Quick! Send a hawk to the Firelord immediately!"

With a skidding of rushed feet, the guards run out, calling to each other excitedly arguing who is to be the one to give the Firelord the good news.

Once the last echoes disappear, Aang and I emerge silently. I tremble slightly as if an icy cold finger has just dragged its nail down my spine.

"We need to find them before they reach the capitol," Aang whispers, picking up the letter that was dropped on the floor. He stares at it for a moment and I wander over to him, peering blindly at the little map in his hands. "There," He points to a dotted line that ends abruptly in the middle of the sea, in between the Fire Nation mainland and Whale Tail Island. "This must be it."

I nod. "Let's go."

We take the letter with us when we leave, an unspoken but acknowledged fortitude building within both of us, and we go to rescue the two people we love.


	9. Jail Break

_**Jail Break**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

I hated prison.

Bad food. Bad sleep. Bad attitudes. I was sick of it all – and it had only been a day.

I'd tried fire bending once and that had resulted to the Captain throwing a fit and ordering the soldiers to chain me to the wall for breaking the rules, so now my wrists were sore from every move I made. Plus, the bruise on my head still throbbed from when that numbskull Tiro had wacked me over the head.

And that wasn't even all of it. Being on a ship again brought back memories of last winter. Of the desperation I had and chasing the Avatar. And of Uncle – this memory coming side by side with a dose of guilt.

I wondered where he was now. Had he gone back to the Earth Kingdom, to his beloved teashop?

No, I realise, he wouldn't have. There was no point now; Ba Sing Se belongs to the Fire Nation. He must be in hiding somewhere. I just hoped that he stayed out of harm's way… And any white jade bushes at that.

But he wouldn't even be in this situation if _I_ hadn't _betrayed _him in the first place.

_Argh!_

Yes so, while being stuck in a cage, bored out of my mind and fighting off haunting memories, I also had one more thing to deal with. A humiliating and horrifying metal bucket that stood in the corner of the cage, something that I'd convinced myself that if I glared hard enough at it, it would evaporate.

Did I mention I was beginning to feel delirious?

Yeah. Prison sucked.

_**Seria's POV**_

We fly roughly south-east for another day, using the rising and setting of the Sun to keep us on the right path. We flew at very high altitudes, higher than the gulls and sea hawks that circled the sea in search of prey. The air was thin and cold, but up here the wind currents were stronger and we could see a lot further than if we were lower down so we endured.

Everything around us was blue. The cloudless sky, the abysmal sea that had turned into the deepest of indigos – it was beginning to make my eyes hurt.

This might have been why I saw the tiniest flicker of steel-grey on the horizon, as if my eyes had grown hyper-sensitive to any colour other than blue's numbing hue. By this time, my arms and legs were stiff and sore from being in the same position for so long and I was glad for any excuse to rest.

"You see that?" I shout to Aang, gesturing with my head towards the specks on the horizon. "It could be a ship."

I watch as Aang peers into the distance. "It looks far away, but we should probably check it out."

I nod and we steer our gliders towards it. As we get closer, I realise it wasn't just one grey smudge, but a whole platoon of Fire Navy battle ships.

_Huh,_ I think. _I was right._

Closer to them, we finally see the flags and I recognise the insignia on the flapping fabric, the same one that was on the wax seal on the scrolls: A Sea Raven.

This was it.

Then a thought occurs to me.

"Do we have a plan?" I shout to Aang.

He looks at me and grins. "'_Jail_ _break'_ seems like a pretty good one to me."

"Fair enough," I say laughing, but it comes out forced. How were we going to pull this off? It was two of us against four ships plus a whole army inside!

Sighing irritably, I shrug it off. I _did_ have the _Avatar_ right beside me. Wasn't he meant to have legendary fighting skills that even the spirits envied? I glance at the twelve-year-old kid beside me and my certainty wavers.

_I guess we'll see_…

We fly closer until we are a hundred yards off the nearest ship. The sea sparkles in the sun's great reflection and I have to squint against the light to see the grey shadow of the ship below.

"Let's dive!" Aang yells. Automatically, I fold the wings of my glider and begin to drop like a boulder, hurtling towards the water.

The brief and familiar thrill of free-fall grips my stomach before I slam into the sea, bubbles erupting from my mouth as I gasp. It was colder than I had anticipated.

_A lot colder!_

Underwater, I open my eyes to see the blurry figure of Aang crash next to me in a plume of white bubbles. My eyes burn from the salt so I close them again, freezing up. I was suddenly blank and I momentarily forgot how to swim.

So I began to sink.

There's a tug on my arm and I feel myself being pulled upwards. I kick wildly to what I think might be the surface, my lungs beginning to ache for air. Finally, we break the waves and Aang holds onto me as I struggled to stay afloat. I cough and grip onto Aang as he tries to swim closer towards the ships.

"Jeez, Seria," Aang says, struggling to pull me along. "Don't you know how to swim?"

"H-Haven't been swimming in two years, r-remember?" I spit out some salty sea water and try to control my shivering. "I've lost my touch."

"Just move your arms as well. It should keep you afloat."

I let go of Aang and tread the water hastily, very clumsy but at least I'm not sinking back under. Aang smiles at me and I feel silly. I look upwards. "Do you think they saw us?"

There's a shout aboard the ship above, answering the question for us. We quickly swim closer to the side of the ship. We duck out of sight behind the anchor as a head looks over the side. Aang creates a bubble of air around our heads and we dive back into the freezing sea, swimming deep under the ship's metal hull.

Once on the other side, Aang uses waterbending to create an icy ladder, making little footholds against the metal all the way up to deck. He gestures that it's "ladies first" and I glare at him, hauling myself up out of the water and onto the first rung. Aang follows and we make the painfully slow climb up.

My arms are shaking from the cold and the strain weight of my wet clothes, but somehow we make it and I reach out to grasp the railing of the ship's deck and peers over.

"What do you see?" whispers Aang.

"There's four of them talking on the other side of the ship," I whisper. "I think they're still looking for us."

"Let's do this quickly then."

I glance up towards the windows of the command tower and see that no one's there. Quickly, I pull myself up and jump down from the railing, falling lightly so my feet didn't make a sound. The soldiers have their backs to me as I silently stalk across the deck. I feel a familiar sense of anger at these kidnappers, yet I find slow smile spreading across my face.

_This is going to be fun._

When I am halfway across the deck, I bring both arms either side of me upwards, collecting huge pockets of air and slicing them down in front of me, two very powerful waves of air careening towards them.

It smacks them right behind the head and they lose their balance and, with some satisfying shouts of surprise, they topple overboard. Aang runs up from behind me and with water bending, washes them further out towards sea. They wouldn't attract attention any time soon.

We grin at each other, glad that we hadn't been detected.

"So shall we search the ship for them?" I ask eager to get started.

"We don't have to." Aang slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a small wooden carving of a bison.

"What's that?"

"A whistle," He says putting the thing to his lips and taking a deep breath. I wait for some kind of high-pitched shrill when he blows on it, but no sound comes out. I am slightly confused, but he's looking around intently.

"Is it broken?"

A smile tugs his mouth. "No, just wait."

There's a sudden growl from the ship next to us, followed by the sound of crashes and cries of panic, the ship swaying alarmingly from side to side. Unmistakably Appa.

I smile. "Things are running smoothly so far."

We fly over to the swaying ship and find the upper level empty, so we have no one to stop us as we run below deck. We run through endless metal corridors that are dimly lit by fire lamps, following the growls that were becoming incisively louder.

Suddenly, I collide into something hard when turning around a corner and fall backwards. I growl and look up. AFirenationsoldierstandsinfr ontofme, helmet in his hands and surprise written all over his face before he hurriedly gets into stance_. _I jump when my backpack explodes behind me and water rushes over my head, freezing him solid.

I give Aang a grateful look. But then I see how much water he actually used up.

"You used up all our drinking water," I say.

"Oh," Aang drops his hands sheepishly. "Sorry. It was a reaction."

I get up and we continue on until Aang skids to a stop by a door. Aang blows on the whistle again and a growl erupts right next to us.

"It's Appa!" Aang cries bursting down the door.

"Aang!" I yell, hesitating before rushing in after him. "What about the guards –"

I enter just in time to watch the last soldier drop to the floor at Aang's feet. The room is large and looks to be some kind of holding bay with huge gates at one end. The floor, currently filled with the red of Fire Nation armour. I blink as I try to comprehend how he had worked so fast.

"Hey, buddy!" Aang says as he gives Appa a hug. "You miss me?"

The bison responds with a good lick which covers Aang head to toe in saliva. I shudder but Aang's laughing, not minding a bit in the slightest that he is in fact coated in slime.

I look to the shackles around Appa's feet and frown. I search the groaning and moaning bodies on the floor quickly, fumbling fingers finally finding a metal loop filled with keys.

"Aang!" I call and toss them over. He just manages to catch it and tries them out on the shackles.

"Let's find Katara," Aang says eagerly as Appa's shackles fall away. The bison growls happily and shakes itself, making the ship dip precariously to the side.

Suddenly, there's an alarm bell ringing loudly over our heads. So much for being sneaky.

"No time, they know we're here!" I shout over the noise. "I'll get Zuko. Take Appa and find her, we'll meet up back on this ship."

Aang purses his lips but nods, obviously not keen on the prospect of splitting up. I give Appa a small pat on the head before I run to the door but before I go, I look at Aang one last time.

"Stay safe." I tell him and then I dash out, backtracking the way we'd come.

Once out in the open air, I realise that the once empty deck is now swarming with activity. I freeze, like a jackrabbit caught in the light, unsure of what to do. There's a shout and heads turn my way.

"Damn it!" I hiss, leaping over a fireball and snapping open the glider's wings and launching myself into the air. I fly higher up and look around. There's a ship to the right of this one, larger and more impressive in décor and size. The leading ship.

_The perfect place to stow a prince_.

I turn towards the ship and am halfway there when I hear something being sprung. There's a sudden whoosh of air. I instinctively bank and a grey web shoots past me like a claw. Only when it dropped back to the sea did I realise that it was a net. I look behind me and see them loading another one.

My brows furrow. _Ok then, bring it on_.

I fly straight until I hear the distinguished whoosh of another and then I drop from the sky, pointing the glider straight at the leading ship. There are men swarming over the ship like a disturbed nest of ants. I spot the single pale face of a soldier on the deck, staring up at me in shock. Then he gets into stance and I know he's about to flare fire in my direction.

Closing the wings, I bring the glider from my head and spin it around my waist so that the fire is whipped away and flies back towards the soldier. There's a shout and the soldier just has time to dive out of the way before the fire roasts the patch at where he was just standing. I land lightly on the now-scorched patch where he was once standing. I rest the glider lightly on the ground and grin at him. He's still on the ground and gapes openly at me, eyes darting from my glider to the sky I'd just fallen from, to my face again. He mouths the words '_air bender'_.

By now, everyone around us has stopped moving. I survey them coolly, suddenly feeling amused by the shocked expressions that plaster their faces.

I grin and flick some air at them. "What? Haven't see an airbender before?"

There's no reply. So I sink to the ground and spin, air whipping from my arms and pouring down them, directed by my outstretched hands at the soldiers. They might have as well been hit by a hurricane. The soldiers fly back, hitting the railings – some going over – and the deck is silent save for a few grunts.

I jab the end of my glider into the chest of the first soldier, still lying on the ground. There's no sharp point and a staff with wings isn't the most threatening thing, but he flinches as if he'd been stabbed.

"The prison hold." I say threateningly. "Where is it?"

The soldier glares at me and struggles to get up. I push him down again.

"Don't you dare!" I growl, pushing him down again no longer in the playful mood I was before. "I swear I _will _launch you so high into the clouds you wouldn't know which way was up!"

"Second floor down." He spits out after a moment of rebellion.

I smile. "Thank you."

I whip him away from me so he's sent skidding into the side of the ship, too far away to stop me as I go. I hear the grunt as he smacks his head against the railing, but I haven't got time to stand and watch; I'm already below deck panting as I run through the corridors. Down a flight of stairs.

"Zuko!" I shout as I run through corridor after corridor as fast as the wind, searching each room I come across. "Zuko! Where are you?"

"Seria!" I hear a call from inside a room to my right and I skid to a stop instantly. "In here!"

"Zuko!" I cry and I unfortunately can't help the girly squeal.

With a little help of airbending, I break down the door and it flies off its hinges, clattering to the ground on the other side of the room. I take in the metal cage taking up one corner and Zuko chained inside.

And I'm _furious_.

Zuko looks to the side suddenly. "Careful! There's a guard–"

I whip my head around to see a one-armed soldier jump out at me, fist held above his head and about to smash into my head. I bob to the side as his fist crashes into the metal wall behind, fire flaring against the metal. Without hesitating, I swing a wall of air at him, smashing him into the wall. He goes limp and slumps to the ground.

"Never mind then," Zuko breathes behind me. I flash him a grin and pluck the chain of keys from the unconscious soldier's belt, opening the door and stepping into the cage with him.

"So how was the prison food?" I ask him, pecking him on the lips.

"Horrible," he grins and jangles the chains around his wrists. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to knock a few heads together."

"Of course," I smile and fumble with the keys. As soon as he's free, he hooks an arm round my waist and pulls me towards him, kissing my forehead briefly.

"Thanks." He says.

"No worries," I laugh and move away from him and over to the door. "Besides, saving a damsel in distress is kind of fun."

"A damsel? Is that what I am?" He chuckles, shaking his head at me. "Alright come on, let's focus."

We run out of the room and head towards the deck. "Where's Aang?" Zuko asks as he jogs alongside of me.

"Oh," I say, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I, um, don't know."

The incredulity in his voice is unmistakable. "What do you mean 'you don't know'? He could be anywhere!"

"We didn't exactly have a lot of time–" I stop as we climb the stairs to outside. "Oh."

I stared around at the various soldiers lined up in front of us, including a very angry looking guy with a fancier helmet than the rest of them, glaring in disbelief at Zuko and then to me. I guess the fight wasn't quite over.

**A/N: Yeah I'm so sorry about the late update…. I know it's kind of cliché and all to say that I've been so busy and blah blah blah but honestly I have xD I have squeezed every spare time I had into writing this! Anyway I hope you liked this one and thanks again for all the favourites and follows! I don't have a beta reader or anything so if you spot a mistake please tell me. Thank you to sunflower13 and Aeris for the reviews – you guys are the coolest; I love you guys! 3**


	10. Choosing a Path

**A/N: Yeah I'm so sorry about the late update but here it is! Wanted to get this chapter perfect as a lot happens in here! Thanks again to sunflower13 and AerisCote (Your review was amazing and gave me the right motivation to get down to business and write this!). Please Read and Review! I worked hard on this chapter so hopefully you'll all like it :D **

**BTW this is a re-post as a glitch happened on my laptop and it saved the wrong draft – Sorry if you have two alerts!**

**Anyway on with the show…**

_**Choosing a Path**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"_Where do you think you're going_?_" _Shrieks the man, holding an elaborate helmet under his arm. He glares at me before turning to Zuko. "Prince Zuko, don't force me to give my men the orders to attack. Although I'd hate to attack a member of the royal family, I will not hesitate to do it if necessary."

There's a pause as Zuko looks at him with a sudden burst of anger. "Well, I guess you don't have anything to worry your patriotic conscious, Captain… As I refuse any past ties with my father." There's a collective gasp from the soldiers and a vein pulses on the Captain's forehead. Zuko raises his voice and steps forward. "You heard me! My father is a _cruel _man who has betrayed the world – and me, his own _son_ who he banished at _thirteen_. _He_ is the one who has brought this fighting upon us and_ he_ is responsible for the war and the death that surrounds it! He is not the saviour for the Fire Nation. Not the hero. _He is the murderer!"_

There's a slightly shocked silence from the solders, filled only by the sound of Zuko's heavy breathing. The soldiers look to the Captain for what to do but he looks just as looks taken aback as they are.

Zuko's voice is quieter when he continues. "And if you chose to fight with him," he says. "Then I am not on your side. Not because I am a traitor, but because I choose this side – the _right_ side." He adds, looking at me over his shoulder with a short smile. He turns back to the Captain and his soldiers. "So order your men, Captain Lau. Follow the Firelord for the rest of your destructive career and see where it leads you. _Or_ you can make things right and let us pass. Your choice."

There's a pause as the Captain stares thoughtfully at Zuko, conflict evident in his twitching lip. I walk up to Zuko and stand next to him, thinking that maybe we could get out of this. Then the Captain frowns, his forehead creasing many times, and in a slow and deliberate way, he places the helmet on his head and glares at us with new eyes. It's the same look a hawk has for a its prey.

"You've made your choice," he says bitterly. "Now here's mine – _Attack!_"

With a deafening roar, a wave of fire comes rocketing towards us. I jump in front and make a towering wall of air, arms straining as it absorbs the impact from the fire but luckily it doesn't waver. Heat blasts my arms as the flames ran up the sides of the wall in a spectacular glow of ruby and gold. When it disappears, Zuko lunges forward and sweeps fire at their feet, forcing them back. He begins to engage the soldiers and I follow, not wanting to make the same mistakes I did last time.

_Don't leave his side this time_. I growl to myself, punching air at soldiers as Zuko and I fight back to back. A spear comes out of nowhere and I narrowly miss being impaled. Gritting my teeth, I swing the glider round and it catches both the spear and the soldier, knocking them away before the spear can clip Zuko. Another swing and one more man is sent flying back into the others. Getting into a rhythm, I knock some more down, swinging my bat back and forth as they charge at me.

"You're enjoying this too much!" Zuko shouts from behind me.

I smile through gritted teeth and glance back at him as he literally knocks two heads together. "Speak for yourself!" I retort.

He grins at me before his hand reaches past my head to grab an oncoming spear. He swings the man towards me and I kick him away, making him fly across the ship.

We grin at each other and continue to hold our ground. But slowly, the soldiers are coming closer and closer, pressing in on us further more. It gets to the point where it's just claustrophobic so I grab Zuko's hand behind me and, without any warning, launch us both into the air. The ground falls away and Zuko looks down in surprise at his dangling feet. We continue upwards until we reach the top of the control tower and when we reach the pinnacle of our ascent, I look at Zuko.

"Remember the forest?" I say and watch as he smiles knowingly, his eye crinkling. "Good! Shoot and I'll fuel it."

Nodding, Zuko breathes in deeply and punches downwards, a large fireball shooting down towards the soldiers. I do the same with some air and it hits Zuko's fire ball halfway down, making the flames swell and expand to five times its normal size so it becomes nothing less than a roaring beast charging down upon the soldiers. There's a cry below us and we watch as the forms of Firebenders are whipped back by the mix of fire and air.

I soften our fall with a cushion of air. We smile at each other and it's on the tip of my tongue to say we should find Aang and Katara when there's a scraping of metal on metal and the ships rocks treacherously.

Our heads whip to the side as a ship collides with our one, gangplanks slamming down across each of the ships' two railings. Soldiers from the other ships run across the gangplanks and onto this one, lots of them pouring onto the deck.

We glance at each other before we run towards them, trying our best to keep them back but there are just too many gangplanks. Suddenly, there's a growl and without thinking, I grab Zuko and yank him out of the way before there's a he tunnel of air that shakes the gangplank loose. A couple of shouts are heard as the gangplank tumbles down into the waves below, dragging the soldiers with it. I turn around and grin at the sight before me. Katara and Aang jump off Appa's head and run over to us.

"So, did I miss the party?" says Katara, cracking her knuckles scarily as she comes over. She seemed unhurt save for a fading bruise above her left eye, making her rebellion to the soldiers clear.

"Not just yet…" I say as more soldiers pour onto the deck.

Her eyes scan over them. "_Good_."

There's a pounding of footsteps behind me and before I can react, Katara jerks her arms forward and water flies past my head. I turn just in time to see a soldier being flung over board, as if he weighed less than a pebble.

"Thanks," I say and she gives me the thumbs up.

Aang grins at Zuko. "Great to see you again, hotman."

There's a slight groan. "I told you not to call me that."

"So guys, shall we get started?" Katara says eagerly stretching her arms above her head. We all get in line and face the oncoming soldiers, fuelled by determination. Katara leaps forward and a whole gangplank and the soldiers on it are swallowed by the sea, washing them away as if they were some kind of stain. Aang and I together begin to create a whirlwind while Zuko and Katara cover us. We raise our gliders and twist them, watching the circle of air grow larger and higher – and powerful. A spinning vortex soon appears, twisting towards the sky and just short of the top of the commanding tower. It is heavy and hard to control, but we manage to point it towards the soldiers. It felt like moving a rock. However it is effective and many soldiers are spun away, as if they nothing more than leaves on the wind.

Aang and I bump fists. Zuko and Katara look equally pleased.

There's another bump and we stumble as the ship sways again. And another one. We spin around and see more gangplanks slamming onto the deck from two more ships. More soldiers. We glance uneasily at each other. It was four – plus Appa – against essentially a whole army. How were we going to do this?

"Aang," Katara calls worriedly. "Now would be a great time to you know… glow it up."

Aang sighs. "I can't, remember?"

There's a pause before Katara looks away.

Zuko takes a step in front of us. "Let's get this over with."

Zuko is the first to run forward and after a slight hesitation we follow, temporarily abandoning the first ship and their occupied crew.

However as I run, there's a hiss of fire and I only just have time to throw some air up to defend myself. But it's not enough and I get knocked back, skidding across the ground. My glider slides to a stop and is lost within the swarming boots of the soldiers.

Growling, I look to my left to see a furious Captain Lau. He steps forward and shoots more fire at me. I scamper out of the way before I can get roasted and manage to jump to my feet.

"Who are you?" he shouts, firing more flames. I whip them away and counter his attacks with my own, driving him back a bit. We continue to engage and I grit my teeth.

"My name, _Captain_," I say sarcastically as he glares at me, punching out at him. "Is _Seria_. And I am one of the last Airbenders left in this world."

"Well, aren't I such a lucky soul to bask in your presence," he spits out. I frown; sarcasm from a captain is a new thing. He sniffs disdainfully. "Why do you even _exist_?"

"Because," I say, halting his oncoming fire and shoving him backwards with a little air power. "I am stronger than I look… And I have some kickass survival instincts."

I kick out suddenly with a sharp gust of air and he flies back onto the ground. It was a dirty move, but I don't even care. He was getting in the way and I had to get back to my team.

Leaving the captain, I turn around and rush over to the group, fighting my way through the sea of red armour until I reach Zuko who is grappling with two other Firebenders. Katara and Aang are behind them, guarding a growling Appa. I grab one of the soldiers fighting Zuko from behind and with as much strength as I can muster, slam him into the other one so they tumble down the deck together.

"Thanks," Zuko pants, rubbing his shoulder.

I frown. He's tiring – as is everyone. I can see the tiredness in Katara and Aang's movements as well.

_Including me._ I think, feeling for the first time a deep and tired ache in my limbs.

"No problem," I say and begin to make my way closer to Aang and Katara. "Make sure everyone keeps together."

Then I barely have time to leap to the side as a soldier steps in front of me and fires. I lash out with my feet and luckily catch the soldier out, but still find myself surrounded by others.

I see Zuko try and help me, but he's got his own soldiers to deal with. I stare at their angled helmets, wondering about the people behind them. Do they have a family? Someone they love in their lives?

I shook the thought out of my head. It didn't matter. At this point, we were on opposite sides.

"Well, this is unfair," I mutter having a feeling that I'd been in a similar situation before.

There is a burst of fire and I manage to counter the attack, engaging the other soldiers as my own private battle takes place. It's only after a few moves before I find I had drifted away from Zuko. Sweat flies off my hands as I swipe them from side to side, taking out each Firebender and fire blast. The next minute feels like an hour.

"We can't hold them off!" I hear Katara shout and I see her struggling to keep her ground against five Fire Benders. I shoot some air at them wildly whilst trying to hold my own and two get knocked away from her.

And still _more _soldiers are boarding the ship.

There's a sudden lull in the fighting and I look around, and what I see fills me with despair. I see Aang desperately defending Appa. Katara and Zuko fighting side by side, both breathing heavily. I see the soldiers, swarming in tight packs against each of us.

There was a blast of a horn, signalling the approach of the last ship. My heart sunk. How were we going to escape? We had to escape before things got any worse than they already were. I'm surprised at how well we were managing to hold out this long.

I dive through the crowd, pushing and blasting my way thorough until I reach Katara and Zuko. "Let's move!" I shout to them and pull them towards Appa and Aang.

We clamber on board and Aang frowns at me. "Your glider?"

I shake my head. "No time. Go!"

Appa launches off the side of the ship, followed by many plumes of fire, but luckily the soldiers' efforts to down us are ineffective.

Katara and I grin at each other, Zuko nodding in a pleased kind of way next to us being the tough guy he is.

"So where to?" Katara says happily but Aang doesn't hear her. "Aang? Hey, Aang!"

We all glance at him and see his grey eyes glued on something below.

"They're loading the catapults," Aang says and the horror in his voice makes my blood run cold. I run over to the side and my heart sinks. Nearly fifty catapults are being loaded, the ships all turning to face us.

The accuracy and distance of those nets could were impossible to run from, not to mention the fact that the boats were already chasing us and picking up speed as they went, a white streak of water marking their progress over the waves.

"We can make it." Zuko manages to say, but the lie falls deaf on all our ears. There was no chance of us escaping like this. Not unless we had someone down there taking out all the catapults. Not unless–

I pause in my thoughts, struck by a new idea.

_Wait a second…_

Then I remembered.

The weight of understanding and remembrance crashes into me and everything looks so clear all of a sudden. I got it. Sho had told me in a dream what I had to do. He'd been the one to warn me and now I had to act or no one would get out of this.

I had come to crossroad, and now I had to choose a path.

"I have to go," I say suddenly standing up, gaining everyone's attention. I walk hurriedly to the side of the saddle when I feel a strong hand close around my arm, stopping me from jumping out.

"What are you doing?" Zuko shouts in my ear and I glance back at him, feeling the gravity of what I was about to do slam me in the stomach.

Aang looks confused. "If this is about your glider, we can get you a new one–"

"No, it's not that," I say impatiently – breathlessly. "I-I have to do something and I guess I have to ask you to trust me."

"I don't like the sound of this," Katara mutters.

"Seria," Zuko says and I turn my attention back to him. His face is an expression of anger, hurt and desperation all rolled into one. "What's going on?"

When I open my mouth, I find the answer is automatic.

"We have the same destinations, but different pathways." It sounded as if I was reciting a legend. I suddenly realise who I sound like and a bemused half-smile graces my face. "And this is the one I have to choose, Zuko, to make sure you guys get out okay. This is how it's meant to be – please try to understand." Zuko just stares at me confused.

I sigh inwardly and turn to Aang who looks back at me in such a sad way, it takes a lot not to turn away.

"You go, I'll hold them off," I mouth to Aang. "Make sure Zuko doesn't follow me."

Aang's lips tighten into a thin line but after a drilling stare from me, he nods slightly. Zuko looks between us in panic.

"What?" he shouts and his grip tightens. "Seria, what does that even mean?!"

"It means, Zuko," I say softly, turning to smile at him. "That I'll see you later. And that even though this is killing me to do this, you'll all be safe."

Realisation slaps him as if there was a physical blow.

"No!" The hurt in Zuko's voice makes my heart feels like it's about to break. I feel just about ready to cry. "You can't leave me again."

I bink hard, keeping my gaze on the ground until the tears disappear. I don't want to do this to him, to hurt him like this – I _hated_ myself for doing this. But if I don't, then we'd all surely be captured again, and this time Zuko won't survive his father's wrath.

Slowly, I lift my head up to meet his eyes. "I will leave if it means that you escape."

There's a moment where we stare at each other, Zuko's eyes burning me with their fury and hurt, and I see myself reflected in them, a faded shape – who pulls away and jumps off the saddle and down towards the ships below.

"_Seria!_"

Zuko's cry is whipped away by the roar of the wind. A gasped sob escapes me and I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling the pressure of tears sting them.

"I'm _so _sorry, Zuko." I whisper uselessly, an ice cold tear slicing my cheek. "_I hope you can forgive me."_


	11. Expectancies

_**Expectancies**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

"_Seria!"_ I shout, about to dive off after her when Katara pulls me back.

"Are you kidding me?" She shouts. "You're not an Airbender! You'll crash!"

"I don't care." I attempt pulling away from her when Aang's in front of me, looking so determined that I actually take a step back.

"Zuko, she knows what she's doing." Aang says in a sombre tone.

I growl. "To hells she does!"

I try and step past him, but Aang's hand is suddenly on my shoulder stopping me. It's surprising to discover the strength hidden in his wiry arms.

He fixes me with steely grey eyes. "We have to get out of here. She just saved our _lives_, let's not waste it."

I look at him. "We can't just leave her!"

Katara steps forward. "I know it seems cruel, but if we go after her we're going to get caught and then Aang won't be able to win this war. We'd lose."

I take a deep breath. "You're going to have to make me."

Katara throws her hands up. "Fine! Since you're obviously not going to do this peacefully, I will..."

_**Seria's POV**_

_Don't panic, just do it. Everything is going to be fine as long as you know what you're doing. So don't panic. I know you're ridiculously outnumbered and outmatched and have no way off but it's okay, people still love you – WAIT, NO IT'S NOT OKAY!_

And so are the thoughts that fly through my head. I sigh frustrated, feeling as if my life was just an endless tumble into thin air from great heights. And I was beginning to panic...

I breathe out and mentally try and push aside all the emotions that are raging inside of me – the most prominent one misery as I wonder whether Zuko will take me back after what I've done.

_Focus, Seria…_

There's the infamous whoosh of air and my head snaps to the side. A net to my right is growing closer and closer like some kind of giant claw, heading straight for Appa.

Gritting my teeth, I direct my body sideways and angle myself so I'm falling closer to the net's path. The grey web grows larger and at the last moment, I slice some air down and cut the net as it flies past me. Little tendrils of rope rise in the air and merely brush the bison's feet before they fall back down harmlessly.

I breathe a sigh of relief, but once again it seems as if I have not paid attention towards my own flight-path. I am already close to slamming into one of the decks. I start to grasp at the air around me, trying to slow my fall. A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have been strong enough to slow down this much momentum, but now I felt completely in control as I created a tunnel of air to slow down my descent.

I land on the deck of the first ship and quickly turn to the first catapult. A neat pile of nets lay by the side of it, and the soldiers were loading one onto the machine… And it was about to fire. Slashing my arms around wildly, I sprint to the nest and cut them to pieces before the soldiers can even register what's happened. There's a single shout and pointed finger but I'm already gone, jumping high into the air and moving on to the next catapult. Skittering slightly on the smooth wood, I look the contraption over and spot a pipe connected to some kind of motor.

"Well, this looks important," I mutter, tearing at it with my airbending. It wrenches apart and the catapult collapses in on itself, but I'm onto the next ship before the soldiers can reach me.

A fierce protection towards Zuko, Aang, Katara and Appa overcomes me and I hurl myself towards the other ships, disabling the catapults on each one as I go. I fly about on each ship on a ball of air, slashing at any nets that they manage to fire and slicing open the pipes and jamming the motors of the catapults. The soldier's don't have time to stop me as I appear on their ship as I disappear with a wisp of air and launch myself onto the next one.

At one point, I'm not quick enough to get away and find myself faced with a few soldiers. Grinning I raise my arms. A wave of air pours over the soldiers, washing them away like an oncoming tide.

After the last catapult is destroyed, I stand there for a while and let the adrenaline leak out. I spin slowly on my heel and face the soldiers, watching them carefully. They look unsure of what to do, until Captain Lau pushes his way to the front and glares at me, fury sparking in his eyes as he glances about the smoking catapults that litter the deck.

"Give yourself up," he says. It's more of a growl than an order. "I you resist, we will use deadly force."

By the expectant guise in his body language, I can guess which one he wants me to choose.

Well, I suppose I'd just have to disappoint him.

I step forward and the soldiers tense up, numerous spears poking out at me from the crowd. I glower at them and raise my arms, the soldiers preparing to attack.

And then I bow my head, letting brown hair fall in front of my face – my hands hovering either side of me in the universal gesture for surrender.

There's an unexpected pause and some confused shuffling. I keep completely still. After a while, I hear a disappointed huff from Captain Lau. "You must be smarter than you look." He says. I say nothing, keeping my gaze turned to the floor. The captain's voice rises as he orders his men. "Take her to the prison hold! We'll deliver the airbender to Firelord Ozai instead of Prince Zuko. You, Private, send a hawk immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Shadows come towards me and my arms are grabbed by a soldier and held behind my back, another one grumbling as he loops rope around my wrists. It is _very_ hard not to resist. It's a sickeningly familiar sensation and I press my lips together, remembering the last time I was in this situation and I try not to vomit.

Each soldier stands next to me and I am lead away. The crowd of soldiers separate so we can walk through. They're silent as I pass, no leers or jeering follow in my wake, and it throws me off a little bit, expecting at the very least some verbal abuse. But there was nothing. Nonetheless, I keep my head down the entire time.

Only when we're about to disappear below deck do I look to the sky once last time. I glimpse a shape far away from the ships, too small and fast moving to be a cloud, and I could swear I caught sight of some horns attached, before the metal walls swallowed the sky up. I could kid myself that I saw the red of Zuko's robe and brown flick of Katara's hair blowing in the wind as they escape.

And, despite everything, I begin to smile.


	12. Unexpected Visitor

_**Unexpected Visitor**_

_**Seria's POV**_

I'm walked down familiar hallways, the lamps throwing orange light against the opposite walls. It takes time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness after being out in the sun's glare for so long, but the soldiers either side of me don't miss a beat and kept walking in perfect unison, their shared footsteps echoing in the space around us. I concentrate on keeping my breathing steady. It's hard to push down the claustrophobia when I know that I'm going to be stuck down here for… however long it takes for them to win the war.

_If they win it…_

I shake my head as soon as the thought crosses my mind. I couldn't afford to think in terms of _'if'_.

Eventually, we arrive at a room with a missing door – one I recognise as the prison hold where they had held Zuko. The two steel doors are missing of course from its hinges and looks out of place in front of us on the floor. The soldiers do a double take and give me a sideways glance as I try not to look sheepish.

I'm forced inside and we stop to see a one-armed soldier kneeling on the floor, holding a cloth to his head as blood runs down his forehead. He looks up as we enter and he recognises me the same time I identify him. It's the one I threw against the wall. I look away, trying to rid the image of the bright red blood that slowly drips down his jaw.

"We have the Airbender," one of my captors informs him. I'm surprised to hear a hint of admiration in his voice towards the kneeling man. "She surrendered, but not before destroying the catapults and letting the other targets escape."

I frown. So we were 'targets' to them? Huh. Typical.

There's a pause as the one-armed soldier looks me over from his position on the floor and I eye him wearily. There's a hardness about his face and definitely that 'soldier-boy' aura, with his sharp, strong jaw and high cheek bones, which are somehow softened by his piercing and intelligent amber eyes. His cropped black hair shines faintly in the half light, yet the right side of it seems sticky and sticking out at odd angles. In another world, I would've said he was okay-looking but in this one I know all too well how beauty is only skin-deep.

"Very well," the soldier says standing up. He does it gracefully but there's a stiffness in his movements that suggest that it's painful. With the slightest wince, he walks over to the cell and opens the door. "Put her in. I'll take it from here."

The soldier nods. "Of course, sir. I mean– Yes… _Tiro_." The soldier is suddenly babbling and abruptly begins to drag me over to the cage by my arm.

Tiro nods slightly bemused and the soldier hurriedly shoves me into the cage. Surprised, I stumble in and hear the door slam behind me. I turn just in time to see the soldier bow to Tiro, caught between annoyance and embarrassment, before he makes a break for it and runs out of the room. The last soldier looks lost at the sudden disappearance of his companion and bows, before he slinks away and follows the other out.

There's a sigh as Tiro steps forward and closes the door properly.

I try not to react when the lock clacks shut, but I can't help the trickle of sweat that slowly rolls down my back with this certainty that I was fully trapped. I watch as he replaces the keys back on his belt and walks over to the bench in the corner to sit down. He tries to be stiff-faced but the movement causes a slight groan to escape him and his hand reaches for the back of his head. He stoops to pick the soaked cloth off the floor and I see that it has turned bright red.

I look away and sit down on the floor, my back to him. I wasn't feeling the overwhelming terror I'd expected to have. Or anger even. No, of course that would be what a _normal _person would be feeling right now. There was some different emotion that plagued my conscious, one I couldn't quite identify. I gave it a mental poke, with all the gross curiosity as if it was a lump of Sokka's infamous seal blubber, before I discovered what it was.

_Guilt,_ I realised. I actually had guilt.

There wasn't a lot of it, but damn it was there. It shouldn't be. I groaned. Since when had I started feeling empathy towards Fire Nation soldiers?

I glance towards the soldier's face that is currently clamped and twisted in hidden pain and quickly look away. Maybe I can ignore it. Just block it out.

I fidget and try to focus on the wall in front of me. _Think of something scary, _I tell myself. _Something like falling to my death; being stabbed; Toph in the morning_. I smiled a bit as I remember the last one. True, I had many terrifying experiences and for a second I can be distracted. But then I can hear the smothered groans and sharp exhales as the soldier shifts behind me and it evaporates.

The guilt keeps tapping at my mind as if there was a tiny hammer knocking on my skull. I start to get annoyed. And then impatient.

Eventually I can't stand it.

"That needs stitching up!" I explode. The words burst out of me – a little more forcefully then intended. I twist around and shoot him an annoyed glare, his mouth slightly open in surprise. "Go get some medical attention before you bleed to death. That's not going to heal on its own."

I shut up, suddenly feeling stupid. _What am I _doing_, exactly?_ _He doesn't care, and neither should I._

I expect him to not say anything. To scoff or sneer even. Things that the soldiers are _supposed _to do. So when I realise he's still looking at me, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck rise a little. I try to ignore him.

"I'm fine."

_Wait, what?_

Did he just answer me back? Is that even _allowed_?

I turn back around and meet his gaze. "What?"

He clears his throat and looks away, seeming to be slightly embarrassed. "My head's fine."

There's a pause as I wonder whether to answer him or not.

In the end, I go against my better judgement.

"You have concussion and are losing a lot of blood; you are not fine." My voice is awkward and unsure, but still I go on. "Go to your doctor, I won't really be able to escape or… whatever."

I shut up again but don't turn around.

He peers at me curiously. "Why do you care?" He says at length. I'm surprised to find that the question seems sincere enough to be genuine.

_Good question_. I think as I realise that I don't have an answer.

Shrugging half-heartedly, I turn back around to stare at the wall and lapse into silence once again. After a while, he sighs and calls to one of the guards walking past the door outside. I turn around curiously. The new guard takes in Tiro's pale and blood stained face in shock and nods, before taking up a stance next to the cage, a hand resting on the sword in his belt.

I watch as Tiro walks out, but I'm obviously not sly enough as he catches my eye. A slight smile begins to formulate on his face, but then it suddenly dives and twists into a frown. He goes.

I had to admit it was very confusing for me too. I wasn't used to nice guards.

I lie down on the floor and stare up at the ceiling. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad after all. Maybe I could get on this guy's good side. Make a friend.

And maybe – just maybe – I've actually found my way out of here.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

I stare at the wooden panels of the empty wall, something that had once been filled with family portraits which had long since been taken down and packed away. If I look hard enough, I can still see the grooves of where the servants had hammered them to the wall, subtle traces of the past summers we spent here. A certain cold-edged feeling had settled about me – and for now I could forget the anger and grief and simply remember.

This had been my mother's and father's room. Back when we'd actually used the summer house. It seemed like the only physical proof left that we had once been a family.

This house is an empty shell. It had once been alive to me and actually held memories and good times, but now there was nothing. It was simply just evidence how, once upon a time, we'd been a content family. Not exactly happy, but comfortable. And now our family is divided and broken – an empty shell just like this house.

I step forward and momentarily rest my hand on a bedside table, the same one my mother used to place her crown upon each night before she went to bed. My fingers come away covered in dust. I stare at it dumbly, slowly rubbing the powdery substance between my fingers.

I hear laughter and turn my head towards the splintered wooden shutters of the window. Through the cracks of light that burst through between the wood, I have a glimpse of the beach. This would be where my mother and father would stand together to watch me – and Azula – play on the beach when they'd had enough of the sun. For some reason, although there were always servants to keep an eye on us they would always stand and watch, smiling when we'd wave wildly at them.

Moving closer to the window, I stood in the same spot my mother had once stood and imagine that she's next to me. Laughing with me and understanding me. Now, in the present, I watched the Avatar and the others dart in and out of the square field of vision the window allowed as they continued their so called 'beach party'. Something struck the first sparks of anger inside.

How could they possibly have the nerve to even _think_ of a party when the world was due to end when Sozin's comet arrived?

_And in the knowledge that Seria gave herself up to be a prisoner once again so we'd get away._

I'd let her down. I know she oh-so-valiantly saved us and things, but it didn't mean she had to do it alone. I had really fought against Katara and Aang, but in the end, Katara actually knocked me out… Something I still wasn't happy about in fact.

It was me who had suggested the summer house. It was the last place my father would come looking. We'd been here a day. Or maybe it had been two. I couldn't remember. Didn't really want to know.

_I couldn't stand this._

The numbness slowly receded and I began to feel anger towards these people that are meant to be her friends. How dare they let Seria give herself up like some kind of sacrifice! How _dare_ they clown around like this as if nothing has happened!

My anger built until every happy laugh and playful tease that came from outside was worse than a scalpel scraping against my nerves and bones. I exhaled loudly and dug my nails into the wood of the windowsill.

Fine. If they wouldn't listen to words and reason, then maybe they'd listen to fire.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

I'd once again found myself immersed in a familiar stage; one where I had decided to lose all track and awareness of the time that passes. It was some kind of mechanism that I had adapted to keep me going all those years in prison. The world would quietly leave, as if my spirit would go off to wander while my body stayed here trapped inside a cage.

Tiro had come back soon enough, a bandage wrapped around his head and some kind of bitter medicine in his hands – no _hand_, of course he only has one arm. We hadn't talked since our first meeting and it seemed okay to keep it like that. There would be no rush anyway. It wasn't as if I was going anywhere anytime soon. I was okay with the way things were going really. Meals came and go. I drifted in and out of sleep. Same old.

Until at one point a soldier came in, announcing that the Captain would be in with a visitor.

"A visitor?" Tiro asks in surprise. "Are you sure?"

I nod to myself; I was wondering the same thing.

"Yes," the soldier replies shortly. "The Captain will be here in ten minutes."

The soldier leaves. A visitor? For _me_? I look at Tiro and see he's just as confused as I am.

He glances at me before he unwraps the bandages around his head. I guess it was to look more presentable. He goes and takes a seat and we wait for the Captain to arrive.

We don't wait long. The Captain enters the room so swiftly that it was as if he had simply materialised into the middle of the room. Tiro actually had to scramble up to bow in time as Lau walked further into the room with his head held high and his hands behind his back. He looks at me and I jerk back at the hostility that radiates from him. He was _furious_ with me. Absolutely livid.

Well, I knew that I'd destroyed some of his ship and probably freed his most valuable prisoner that would've given him an instant promotion to a High General… But still.

_I guess he wasn't used for things not going his way_, I think bitterly.

"Sir." Tiro snapped to attention and gave a formal bow, his arm held behind his back.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant," Captain Lau acknowledges. He turns to me and smiles slightly. "You have a visitor. Someone who's rather familiar to you."

I look down to frown at the ground. I didn't like the way this conversation was going. Nor the fact he was sounding so smug. What did he mean by 'familiar'? Had someone been else captured? I hoped to whatever Spirit was listening that it wasn't Zuko or Aang.

"Sir," Captain Lau called to whoever was outside the room. "You may enter."

_Sir?_

"Thank you, Captain." A smooth voice came from outside the door.

I stop breathing, my heart pounding in my ears as the room sways for a second. That voice _is_ familiar – no matter how much I wish it wasn't. I watch hopelessly as a shadow steps through the doorway, cutting off the golden light that spilled into the room from the lamp just outside.

_No… There is no way…_

My heart drops as the figure steps into the room, carrying themselves in a way only very powerful people can. The atmosphere suddenly turns icy as two spotless and gold-rimmed boots step into my field of vision and stop in front of me. I manage to unfreeze the muscles in my neck and slowly, I lift my head up to look straight into the transparent eyes of General Chen.

**A/N: Boom! Did you see it coming? Was it a shock? Did you like the idea of the one and only General Chen coming back from the dead?! Review and tell me what you think all you lovely people ;) Thanks again to everyone who favourite and followed this story! And to the reviewers…**

**Omega- ThEND ~ Sorry this is kind of a late update and well now there's even more suspense! ;D Hope you enjoyed the surprise and it lived up to expectations!**

**Sunflower13 ~ This one's a little longer now so maybe it was worth waiting for? Haha I don't know but hope you liked this one and thanks for the review! **

**Itachi-Uchiha-lover ~ You are awesome! Thanks so much for your reviews on both this story and Fire and Air: Beginnings. I'm so glad you are enjoying it and I hope you liked this one too!**

**AerisCote ~ No problem! Every one of your reviews are lovely – they never fail to make me smile - and I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks again you wonderful person ;) **

**P.S. Yeah I'm sorry. It's another cliff-hanger…. I really must stop doing that – it's mean of me.**

**~Zozeebobs**


	13. Alive

"Hello again." General Chen says, his mouth twisting into a sinister smile, one that's so horribly familiar that my stomach clenches in fear. His eyes seem to glint with delight as my eyes widen in horrific amazement. "Were you not expecting to see me?"

I'm too shocked to speak.

There's a long pause. At least it feels long, as if all of time has poured into each second to saturate them into minutes. My brain just shuts down, though I can tell that he is loving every second of my discomfort. Some part of me wants to wipe that smirk off his face, to hide the expression on my face that is giving him such obvious pleasure, but I can't bring myself to do it. And he just stands there, soaking up my fear, loving it. So the silence continues.

Eventually, Captain Lau coughs behind him. "Tiro, why don't you go get some drinks for the General?"

"Yes, sir."

I barely notice him go. This man in front of me, the one who's made me suffer the past two years of my life, is alive. Not dead. Alive.

_But this isn't possible! _My mind suddenly claims._ I saw him die, watched him fall to the ground… He can't – this can't be happening_.

"General?" Lau asks from somewhere far away.

Chen turns his head slightly towards him, still keeping his cold gaze on me. "You may leave, Captain."

Captain Lau is surprised at the ordering tone, but relents after a slight hesitation. "Of course."

As soon as the door slams shut, I am jerked out of my dazed state. I begin to shiver.

"Why…" I whisper, finally finding my voice. "Why are you here?"

General Chen laughs, a bitter and harsh sound that makes me wince. "To finish what I started."

I close my eyes and breathe shakily, his threat having no effect on me. Anger has taken hold and it raises my voice. "No. _No, _you _died_! I killed you!" I shout, clenching my fists. "There's nothing to 'finish' here. We won, and you lost. There's not anything left for you to do. So why don't you go back to just being a _corpse_? The way you're meant to be–"

His eyes spark with an intense fury that I've never seen before and lightning-quick he reaches his hands through the cage and grabs my shirt, pulling me towards his face. I claw at his hands but he simply draws me closer, tightening his hold on the shirt.

"Yes, I am _alive_," he hissed, his cold pale eyes ablaze with white-hot rage. I glare back at him, trying not to feel so grateful for the bars that stood between us. "And yes, you would've killed me on that cliffside. But luckily you weren't _possessed_ long enough to finish the job." My eyes widen. _He knew?_ Chen grins suddenly and I feel my anger disappear as quickly as it had come, replaced by outright fear. "Oh yes, I knew that wasn't you. Too much power for _scum_ like you." I wince as spit flies from his lips as he expels the old nickname. He gets angrier and hisses each word with more venom than a snake. "But that's beside the point. I'm here now. You can never escape me – not ever. Don't you see? You belong to me. I _own_ you. And I'm going to make you suffer. You are going to pay–"

"_What_ in the name of the seven sons is going on in here?"

Chen abruptly releases my shirt and stands up, leaving me to fall back to the ground. I gasp, not realising that I'd been holding my breath, and scramble to sit up again. With a frustrated growl, Chen whips around to face Tiro standing in the doorway, a tray balanced on his hand with three piping cups of tea. He's staring at both of us in shock. Chen smoothly steps away from the cage and raises himself up to his full height to look down at Tiro, weighing him up. I see Chen take in the missing arm, the tray in his hands and he smiles.

"Nothing that concerns you, Lieutenant," he says calmly. Tiro glances at me and frowns deeply, while I stare back. Chen notices and narrows his eyes at Tiro. "Remember your place, soldier," he says in a low, threatening voice.

Tiro stiffens at the threat and glares at Chen, the tension building. I try to remain calm, rubbing my face with my hands to try and rid the look of horror I know is written all over my features. Tiro takes a step towards Chen and looks about to say something when Captain Lau suddenly rushes in.

"Now, what's going on here?" He demands, looking angrily at Tiro.

"We were just having a little talk, Captain," Chen says, tearing his gaze away from Tiro to smile thinly at him. The Captain looks slightly confused but Chen is talking again before he can open his mouth. "Just by way of inquiry, Captain, have you managed to obtain any information about the Avatar and Prince Zuko from the prisoner?"

The Captain blusters a little. "Er, I'm afraid not, sir. She hasn't responded to any of our questions. She's a mute, sir."

"Hmm. I see." Chen turns suddenly to pin me with his scrutinising gaze once more. I stare back at him, unsuccessfully trying to stop my hands from trembling. "Tell me, good captain," he says pleasantly, unsuccessfully trying to keep the excited glint in his eyes. "Have you tried _torture_?"

The room goes cold suddenly. I shudder.

The Captain gulps. "T-Torture, sir?"

"Yes." Chen says smoothly. "This girl holds vital information for Firelord Ozai. It is within your duty to retrieve that information in any way possible."

"Sir…" Tiro begins, stepping towards the Captain. He holds up an impatient hand and Tiro closes his mouth. Chen smiles confidently as we wait for the Captain to make a decision.

"I'm sorry, General," The Captain says at length, meeting his eyes. "With all due respect, I cannot allow it. Not on my ship."

_So, the Captain does have a backbone_. I allow myself a small smile.

General Chen looks angry for a second, but then it disappears. "Very well," he says stiffly. "We'll be docking tomorrow. We'll let the Fire Lord decide what was right, shall we?"

The colour drains from the Captain's face but he manages to nod.

Chen walks over to Tiro and slowly picks up one of the cups from the tray. "Thanks for the drink."

Tiro says nothing, but continues to glare at him. Finally, General Chen walks to the door.

"I'll see you in the morning," Chen says darkly before he disappears.

"Yes, General!" The Captain shouts after him. But I knew that wasn't to him. Chen was saying that to me.

Chen's footsteps fade and there's a tension in the room that suddenly disperses.

Once they disappear, the Captain whirls on Tiro. "And what exactly do you think you were doing?"

I stare at them both, watching everything behind fogged glass, like the windows in my village when the mountain mist rose up in the night. But I could feel the pressure of panic growing inside. I had to hold it at bay._ I had to._

"I wasn't doing anything, sir." Tiro set the tray down on the bench in the corner with a clatter. The clanking of metal made me wince. "I was just wondering whether he lets his emotions get the better of him. It's not very professional–"

"Lieutenant!" Captain Lau says sharply. "I won't have you speaking about a high-ranking General like that! Although I admit that he's somewhat… intense. He is still a commanding officer and we must show respect."

Tiro says nothing.

_Please say something_, I silently beg. The panic is building. _I need the distraction_. _NOW._

When Captain Lau sighs, I almost throw up my hands in relief. I concentrate on him as he walks over to Tiro.

"You are a good soldier, Tiro," he says, smiling in a proud way. "One of the best in fact – before your incident…" Tiro flinches and the Captain shakes his head. "But this – this rebellion – isn't like you at all. I don't know why you're acting this way."

There's a pause. "I'm just trying to do the right thing, sir."

"Serving your nation, my dear boy, _is_ the right thing!" Captain Lau cries. "Fulfilling your duty. 'Answering the Call'. You know that… Don't you?"

Tiro shifts uncomfortably. "Yes sir."

"Good boy." The Captain looks pleased as he slaps him on the back. He straightens suddenly and looks fretfully towards the door. "I have some responsibilities that I must fulfil. Can I trust you to handle anything on your own?"

"Of course, sir!" Tiro exclaims. The Captain nods and walks away. "And sir?" The Captain looks back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't think anything of it, old sport," beams the Captain. He walks out.

I watch Tiro smile to himself and sits back on the bench. The distraction is over. _Oh no_.

There's no point in hiding anymore. General Chen is alive.

And by consequence, I am dead. No doubt about it.

Without warning, the panic in my stomach explodes into a shattering fear that threaded through every vein in my body. It spirals upwards, filling my body until it becomes all that I am. I start to shake uncontrollably, tears coursing down my cheeks as I gasp out great big choking sobs. I wasn't going to get out of this. I would never escape this prison. Never see Zuko or my friends again. How did I beat someone who beat _death_?

I couldn't. There was no way I could.

My crying worsened and I lost any shred of restraint. I cursed the ship. Chen. My luck. Anything. Everything.

All the while, I was dimly aware of Tiro gripping his knee in a vice grip as he stared at the wall with a strained look, clenching tighter with every gasped sob I emitted.

Eventually, a soldier from outside runs in and tells me to shut up.

I close my mouth, biting down on my lip, and stare at him. Long and hard. He looks unnerved and backs out of the room, glancing at Tiro who in turn pays him no attention. Instead, I see he's watching me.

I hiccup back another bout of crying and turn my head from him, sniffing and wiping away the tears. I couldn't believe I'd let myself lose it like that, in front of a soldier at that.

I shuffle into a corner and draw up my knees to hug them, still shaking from the shock. I bury my head inside them and try and head aching from all the crying.

_Stop crying_. I tell myself. _Stop it_, _you are stronger than this. It isn't the same. Chen may be back but you still have friends and Zuko. You have them._

Eventually, the snuffling stops. I stare at my feet, exhausted, playing back the cliffside over and over again in my head. I remember the way he clawed at his throat, the way his eyes rolled back into his head. It gives me some kind of satisfaction. Well, he definitely _looked_ like he'd died.

So why hadn't he?

I think back to what happened afterwards, and I realise that I'd taken over of my body when Zuko had called to me. How we'd been too preoccupied to check if Chen had a pulse. And thinking about it, he didn't really have to hold his breath for that long.

My eyes widen. So it _was_ possible.

Damn.

I close my eyes and breathe out slowly, letting the shaking stop. I could still do this. He wasn't the only one who'd brushed death so closely. In his head, he still saw the scared little girl I'd been. But I've change. I _was_ stronger.

And he's going to be one to pay.

A small grin graced my quivering lip.

I'll make sure of it.

**A/N – had to get this posted as soon as I could due to the awful cliff-hanger I left you guys on! Felt horrible for Seria when writing this one. Sorry about it being so morbid and full of angst, but things are going to brighten up… Hopefully ;) I won't be able to post next week – as I have an exam - but I wanted to get this up straight away for you guys to read. So here ya go!**

**And once again I send out a massive thanks to the reviewers Sunflower13, MariaSeverusSerius Black-Snape and of course, Itachi-Uchiha-lover (Yes, Seria has the worst luck in the world: She has **_**me **_**as her writer! I do love her, really I do, but Chen kind of hijacked my story… again.)! Anyway hope you guys are liking this story and **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Zozeebobs**


	14. The Phoenix King

_**The Phoenix King**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"What did he do to you?"

I tear myself away from the ground and look up to stare at Tiro blankly.

"General Chen," he elaborates. "He obviously did something to you to make you react like that."

Some time had passed since General Chen's visit. I think it is night now. The ship seems peaceful with the heavy weight of silence lingering in the hallways outside, the quiet only broken by the occasional footsteps of a patrol walking past every hour or so. I think everyone must be asleep. Everyone but us.

_What did he do to me? _I turn the question over in my head, and then I laugh darkly.

"What _didn't_ he do..." I mutter.

"Please," he says with surprising earnest. "I… need to know."

I stare at him in interest. "Why?"

He shifts and averts his gaze, keeping silent. After a while I sigh and let my gaze fall downwards, dropping my defences. I don't know why, but I don't feel that uncomfortable in telling him about what happened.

I told myself I can handle the memories better than before – though they still hurt. Of course, I could've just been delirious, with no sleep and little food in my stomach.

Or maybe it was trust. Just a tiny bit though. No, it's definitely the lack of food.

"I used to live in a village high in the mountains," I say quietly. I curse myself for being so timid and small, and raise my voice. "We thought we were safe and away from the war, but we were wrong…"

And so I told him. How Chen had killed my family. About the prison. The cliff. How he'd done everything he possible could to completely destroy me.

And did it feel _good_ telling a Fire Nation soldier what his so-called 'respectable' superiors were really doing behind closed doors. What they really stood for.

When I finish, I watch Tiro carefully. At first there's nothing, but then there's a shift and for the first time, I see anger playing freely across his face, nothing restrained or hidden. It's evident in every clench of his jaw, every tight muscle in his neck and every grind of his teeth. He's actually furious.

I have to say I'm surprised. I took him to be the typical soldier boy that followed his orders blindly. Guess I was wrong.

I realise that Tiro's been quiet for a long time and I peek up at him. He senses me looking at him and meets my gaze, muttering a single word.

"_Bastard_."

I nod quietly in agreement, actually trying to bite back a wry smile. I can think of many other words that I could use to describe that man.

He opens his mouth again but there's a shout from outside the room. There must've been some kind of switch flipped as the boat is all at once alive again. The babble of noise begins to boil again, bubbling through the hallways until it filled the whole ship with activity. I straighten up as a herd of soldiers rush by.

We have arrived.

The whole ship shudders as the hull came into contact with the dock. A shiver ripples through the metal hallways and there's a pounding of feet as everyone rushes to the deck and engine rooms to turn everything off. Slowly, the vibrations of the engine still.

We wait until Captain Lau enters the room, a letter clutched in his hand. His face is coloured with excitement.

"We have been summoned by Firelord Ozai to attend his ceremony," he says in a rush, waving the letter in his hand at Tiro. "We are honoured guests!"

Tiro stares at him, surprised. "_Us_?"

The Captain nods. "General Chen requested our presence on our behalf." He smiles. "See? He isn't half bad after all."

Tiro glances at me and I see that he's not convinced. "What about her?" Tiro says gesturing to me. "Is she coming with us?"

"Yes, yes." Captain Lau says impatiently. "You will escort the prisoner and we will meet the General at the platform."

"He's already there?"

"He had some pressing matters to attend to." He raises an eyebrow at Tiro. "However, General Chen left clear instructions: The prisoner is considered dangerous and a threat to the Firelord. He says that the prisoner must be chained; both hands and feet. Plus, the mouth must be covered as well – in order for our Fire Lord to feel safe."

"Of course Chen said that!" I spit, unable to keep my emotions in check. The Captain looks at me in surprise. I guess he must've forgotten that I could actually _talk_. I guess things are a lot easier when you can pretend that the person you're keeping locked in a cage like an animal is an object.

"Doesn't that all seem a bit successive, Captain?" Tiro says sceptically, drawing the Captain's attention back to him.

"There can be no room for mistakes here," he says sharply. "I expect nothing less than the best from you today, Tiro. This is a huge honour to meet Firelord Ozai himself."

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, soldier," He flicks his hand at him; an impatient gesture. "I suggest that you get to it. And be quick about it too."

**.:oOo:.**

I stand at Tiro's side, watching in horror as two high servants place an elaborate crown onto Ozai's head. Flags rises up behind him, embroided with a golden phoenix against a deep red background. More flags rise up in front of the old Fire Nation emblems that lined the rows, each one covered in the same symbol of the phoenix. Great bouts of fire burst from two pillars either side of the flag, releasing long multiple streams of flame that hurls harsh heat and light to everyone in the crowd.

We stand at the very back, on some kind of raised platform so we can see above the crowd. Even from this distance, I spotted Chen's white-blonde hair down at the very front, applauding with enthusiasm with the others.

Azula stands by her father's side, smiling in a pleased way and following her father down the platform as he makes his way back through the crowd, arms still raised. Everyone around me bows low as he passes, the procession following him as he goes. I realise that I stick out like a sore thumb, with my bright yellow top among the dull reds of the nobles and the bowed heads.

It should be no surprise when I catch the eye of the PhoenixKing himself as he walks past, yet I can't help but react in a way that makes me freeze completely on the spot. His eyebrow rise slightly in mild surprise and I quickly look down at my feet, heat flushing my cheeks as my heart pounds. A man as powerful as him was not someone to be trifled with.

I keep my gaze there until the procession continues onwards and disappeared.

"Come on," The Captain says when they've gone. "We need to talk about a strategy plan with Phoenix King Ozai," he says the new name with a bit of fumbling, clearly not used to the new title. It was a bit of a mouthful to say. "General Chen says that he has an idea to propose."

Row by row, we were led away, directed by some of the palace servants to the banquet hall, where everyone had gathered for food and drink and to congratulate the new – supposed – ruler of the world.

However, when we reach the door guards block our way.

"What is the meaning of this?" Captain Lau says affronted, squaring up to the guard. "We are honoured guests–"

"You two may enter," says one of them, the voice slightly distorted through the helmet. It sounds bored. "But you may not bring _her_ in."

Slowly, the Captain turns to me and frowns, as if it was my fault that I was there with them in the first place. I narrow my eyes at him.

"I'll stay out here and keep an eye on her," Tiro says eventually. "Go and have your audience with the Phoenix King, sir."

The Captain's face lights up. "Y-Yes! That would be marvellous, Tiro. Thank you."

Tiro shrugs and the Captain disappears inside. Tiro tugs me by the arm towards the side of the building and over to a window where we wait and watch the banquet take place. It's interesting how he hasn't pulled me by the chains once, always letting me go my own way or guiding me by the arm.

I peered through one of the windows. It looked amazing, no doubt, with a great chandelier full of candles on the high ceiling that cast its light on the gold plates and goblets below, little reflected pools of golden shadows playing on the walls. Everything is tinkling, the glasses and the laughter and the patter of voices.

It all seems so… superficial.

As I continue to watch, I spot the Phoenix King, stood right in the centre of the huge room.

_Well at least he's donned the ridiculous helmet_, I think dryly. There's a cough behind us and I turn to see that the nobles who pass us send haughty looks my way, their noses turning up at the sight of me before they turn to murmur to each other, occasionally glaring at Tiro.

"_What's a prisoner doing here at this ceremony?"_

"_It does seem rather strange..."_

"_Who brought her here? They ought to be ashamed!"_

I turn my mind from them and their petty superficiality. I don't care what they think. They don't live for anything more than these flashy banquets and pottering around in the latest silk robes and corsets. I shift my hands around to try and loosen the tight grip the shackles had around my wrists. I'm itching to Airbend a few of them away, but I know that is the worst idea with all these Fire Benders around.

And not to mention the_ Phoenix King_, master fire benderhimself.

One of the nobles is brave enough to walk up to Tiro and ask him what exactly he thinks he's doing and begins to lecture him. The old snooty noble looks ridiculous, puffing out his chest and glaring at Tiro who still stands over a head taller than him. It as if a poodle-monkey is trying to pick a fight with a saber-tooth moose lion. Tiro ignores his ranting and eventually the noble slinks away, trying to cover up his embarrassment with a huff of indignation.

I sigh and rest my head against the wall. It's not long before I see Chen stride over to the eager crowd of nobles that had gathered around the new Phoenix King and Azula, cutting in front of them all to speak in to him. Even from here I can hear the 'humph' of annoyance from the nobles as the King nods and begins to follow Chen off to the side. Azula – who had been staring around the vast room with obvious boredom – swiftly follows.

They disappear for a moment until another door opens behind me and General Chen walks out… _With Ozai and Azula right behind him_.

My breath catches in my throat.

"It is a very intriguing idea I must admit, General," Ozai is saying as he steps outside in a swish of blood red material and a flash of gold. I blink. "I will take your proposition into consideration..."

He stops and looks to Tiro, ignoring the dozens of bowing nobles. The King openly stares at his missing arm and smiles.

"Are you Captain Tiro?" Ozai asks curiously.

Tiro steps forward and bows. "It's 'Lieutenant' now, my king," He says respectfully. "I'm not Captain anymore."

"Ah, yes," Ozai says. "Because of the unfortunate…" His eyes flick to his missing arm again and I see Tiro flinch slightly. "…Accident." He finishes with a smile.

There's some silence as Tiro clears his throat awkwardly. I feel sorry for him, being put on show like that.

Ozai suddenly notices me. "And what is this?"

Tiro looks to me. "She's an airbender, sir." He sounds like he still can't believe it himself.

"Ah," Ozai says smiling at me. "So this is the infamous little airbender that managed to take out a whole platoon of my soldiers. Nice to finally have met your acquaintance."

_Wish I could say the same thing about you_,I think sourly. The way his voice rolls in a sinister way implants a tiny bud of fear in my chest. I look away from him.

"How did you catch her then?" He asks. I can feel him studying me and my skin crawls as I keep my gaze turned down to my feet.

Captain Lau suddenly appears beside General Chen. "We captured her when she rescued the waterbender and Prince Zuko, sir," he states proudly. He shuffles his feet a bit. "She… gave herself up after they all got away."

Ozai nods and then turns to Azula. I breathe a sigh of relief as his gaze leaves me, expecting him to disappear into the party once again. But he's talking to Azula; "Didn't you run into her at the Western Air Temple a few days ago?"

"Yes, father," she says. "And I think I found something of interest…" Azula grins at me from behind him.

Ozai lifts his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"She's Zuko's – how can I put this? – lady _friend_."

_Shit_.

"Are you now?" Ozai says turning back to me, smiling in an amused way. He bends closer as I glare daggers at Azula behind him. "What does my traitorous son see in you, I wonder?" he asks curiously. I say nothing but switch my death glare onto him. He straightens, a frown on his face. "He's definitely gotten…. _Soft_. I should've drowned that boy at birth. He's been nothing but a thorn in my side for the past sixteen years."

General Chen nods behind him.

"Hmm…" Ozai murmers. "Zuko cares about her you say, Azula?"

"Yes, father."

Before Ozai can say anymore, Chen clears his throat and steps forward. "Shall we execute the prisoner, sir?" I splutter and then gag as the cloth wrapped around my mouth lands on my tongue. _Ugh.._. gross. Chen continues. "She has committed the highest acts of treason as well as attempted murder. Maybe if we _present_ the body to your son, it could work as a distraction…" He lets the sentence hang.

_Slimy bastard!_ I want to shout._ You've planned this all along!_

The urge goes as Tiro whips around to face Chenr, just managing to catch himself from shouting at his superior when I turn to look at him sharply. _Stay under control_, I think at Tiro, giving him a warning look. Thanks to Zuko, I knew all too well how the Phoenix King responded to rebellious comments. Tiro sighs under his breath and steps back a bit.

We all turn to The Phoenix King as he looks at General Chen in thought.

"No… We can work with this," Ozai says and I breathe out slowly. He nods, seeming to have come to a conclusion. "Yes… " He turns to General Chen and the others. "My son knows about the plan we have for Sozin's Comet; he was present in the war meeting when we discussed it. I have a feeling that he hasn't wasted his time. Although he may be a traitor and disrespectful and hot-tempered boy, he isn't a fool. He may have some kind of plan to counter our attack, so we should tip the scales in our favour. Bring a new piece to the game, so to speak."

Chen's disappointment is written all over his face, but he nods. "If you wish, sir."

I look around in confusion. _What does he mean?_

Oh right.

Bait. I was going to be used as bait.

Ozai smiles, pleased with himself and turns to Tiro. "You shall bring the prisoner to the fleets and be the guard," he instructs. "I need a patriot such as yourself to help me fight this war."

"_Me_?" Tiro is flabbergasted. Behind him, I see Chen clench his fists. Obviously, this wasn't what he'd wanted to hear. I smile slightly.

"Yes," Ozai says straightening, some amusement flickering in his eyes. The sudden softness reminds me of Zuko and I am remember how it is that this evil man is Zuko's father. _The one who gave him the scar_. Ozai continues and I find myself grinding my teeth together. "General Chen will debrief you and then we shall board for the Earth Kingdom once the comet arrives."

There's a pause as everyone bows – with the exception of me of course. I will _never _bow to him. As everyone unfurls, Ozai's face darkens with wickedness and a malicious grin appears and I see a glimpse of the cruel and evil man within. "Gentlemen," He says pleasantly, spreading his arms wide like he did in the procession. "I must say that I have been looking forward to this day. Tomorrow, the comet will come. And tomorrow, we will win this war."

**A/N – Hi guys! Merry Christmas! It's officially Christmas over here in England and I wanted to get this out for you as a Christmas present, so… ta-da! Sorry it's not an overly exciting chapter but things will pick up again the next update. Not long until the last chapter now! How sad…**

**The reviewers…**

_**AerisCote – Aw thank you, I'm glad it came out okay ^^ Yes she IS stronger now since the fight with Chen on the cliff side and she CAN make a difference and help turn the tables for the Gaang in this war. My exam went very well thank you! I'm sorry this update awasn't the most exciting but we do need a couple of fillers to let the plot develop riiiiight? Haha anyway thanks so much for your comment and have a Merry Christmas!**_

_**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape – Yes. Yes she is. ;)**_

_**KJun – Yeees! Glad you like it! I am against all Mary Sues and didn't want Seria to be one at all, so thanks for saying that! I am glad you like Seria and her character! I've kind of just let her grow and develop on her own, I'm just the mean one who makes bad things happen to her **____** Anyway thanks again for the review and I promise future action ;D**_

_**Sunflower13 – I did actually think about that! But then I didn't really want to give him too much power as, you know, he's just come back from the dead so that itself is enough ;)**_

_**Itachi-Uchiha-lover – It DOES suck! I find that when I create characters, they do what I say for about the first chapter but then after that, I have an idea and then realise I can't go through with it because my characters simply wouldn't do that so meh xD hopefully you liked this chapter and again, I swear that there's a showdown coming up soon so some exciting stuff there :D**_

**Thank you for everyone who's favourite and followed both this story and Fire and Air: Beginnings. Hope you all have an amazing Christmas and I'll update again before the new year ;D**

**Love you all! **

**~Zozeebobs**


	15. It Begins

_**It Begins**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

I can't believe it.

I'd found Uncle. At long last.

He couldn't have been gone for more than several weeks, yet it felt like years. It was amazing that he was here with me. And he'd _forgiven _me.

I can't believe it.

I keep glancing across the rim of my tea-cup as I take another sip of one of Uncle's famous jasmine brews, still not quite believing he was actually there in front of me. I swallow and smile down at the drink. Only Uncle could make the finest tea with some boiled river water and wild jasmine (luckily this time he had some others around him to help identify whether a plant would stop his heart or not). Although in my opinion, the tea still didn't seem to taste of anything, there was something familiar about the warm liquid that was somehow… homely? Or maybe I was just happy to see Uncle again. He had this calm aura that radiated from him and it seemed to be infectious.

I shook my head slightly to rid myself of these wandering thoughts and study the wise man that is my _Uncle _opposite me. He'd revealed to me that he was the leader of a secret and worldwide organisation known as the Order of the White Lotus. My tea-making Uncle, who loved music nights, pai sho and a cup of jasmine in his right hand was actually in charge of a secret order that made the Dai Li look like a gardeners club.

A few months ago, I would have been furious at him for hiding such a big secret from me for all these years. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was a strange feeling and I realise how mich I've changed since that night I let the bison go.

I must have been staring a bit longer than intended as Uncle suddenly looks up and smiles. I smile hesitantly back, slightly embarrassed that I'd been caught gawking.

"Now, Zuko," Uncle says, setting down his cup. "I am curious as to what you have spent your time doing in my absence."

I sigh. _Where to begin?_

I place my own cup on the threadbare mat as well. "A lot has happened," I say slowly, collecting my thoughts. "I guess I'd better start at the beginning… It might take a while though." I add uncertainly.

To my relief, Uncle smiles. "We have time." He says firmly. "You take as long as you need."

It's interesting to watch his face shift through different emotions as I go through the different things has happened. I tell him about joining the Avatar, meeting the dragons, finding Sokka's father, Azula…

And Seria. I tell him about her.

I have to stop on the fact that she isn't here anymore due to the a great swell of misery that rises in my chest before I could start. I choke to a stop and wait for it to fade. It's not going away. I close my mouth and I lapse into silence, bowing my head and knotting my sweaty hands together. I was feeling way too emotional at the moment. I'd already cried once in front of someone today, and I would not cry another time. Not. _Again_.

I grit my teeth. The weight of containing my emotions starts to build, all of them pressing together with surprising pressure.

_Keep it together_, I tell myself as my stomach tries to tie itself up in a thousand different knots. _You can keep a hold on this_.

It's not working. The panic's building. I'm going to have to try something else. Breathing out some steam softly, I turn my head to the fire that crackles under the tea pot. I listen for the pops and sparks as the fire keeps its hold on the wood. I feel its heat against my face. I stare at the orange glow and my inner fire kindles a little at its warmth. The pressure fades a bit.

Uncle, who had been staring into the depths of his cup, looks sharply up and notices my discomfort. When he catches sight of my face his eyebrows take a spectacular dive. It's quite funny actually–

I must be getting hysterical.

"So where is this girl?" Uncle asks in an obvious attempt to distract me. "Will I be able to see her or are too you embarrassed for her to meet your old Uncle Iroh?"

I breathe out slowly. "She's not here." I say shortly.

His eyebrows rise. "No?"

"No." The words suddenly bubble at the front of my mouth and I can't help but spit them out. "She gave herself up to the Southern Raiders in order for all of us to get away. And I just _left_ her there."

There's a pause as I bury my face in my hands, rubbing my eyes furiously.

"_No_, _Zuko_," He says sharply, taking my hands away from my face. "Stop doing this to yourself. You must learn that in order to solve your own problems first, you mustn't take on the world's problems as well. I know you well enough that you wouldn't have just 'left' somebody you care about behind without a fight, without a good reason to."

"Okay, Uncle." I say, hating how quiet my voice is suddenly. How desperately grateful I am to hear his reassuring words again. But he's right.

_Again_, I think annoyed.

He searches my face and then softens. "She sounds like a very brave and courageous girl."

The stress disappears and I pinch the bridge of my nose with a sigh. "Stupid. Stubborn. Impulsive." I say irritably. "There are other ways of describing 'brave', Uncle."

He chuckles slightly, his eyes twinkling. "Ah, true. But in this case, I think she knew what she was doing when she made that decision. It seemed to be the right one."

I groan. "_How_?"

"We would not be speaking now if she hadn't." I open my mouth to argue but he holds a hand up. "The Avatar and his friends would not be here either and I doubt the young Avatar would have been able to defeat the Firelord Ozai from a prison cell. Besides, Sozin's Comet is tomorrow. You'll be able to see this Seria after we finally win this war."

He sounds so sure that I look at him in surprise. "You sound as if we've already won it, Uncle. Why so certain?"

Uncle looks at me for a second before his face splits into a knowing smile. "Just a feeling," he says simply. I feel annoyed; why must he always speak in riddles and avoid giving a direct answer?

He finishes the last of his tea and stands up. I haven't touched my own. "Now let's go and meet with the others. We have much to discuss."

He exits the tent and I stare after him in mild curiosity, before I shake my head and follow him out and into the sunlight.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

The world flies by slowly, the land turning into the sea as if we were motionless above it and the world below was the one rotating. My new cell had the luxury of a window, one that gave me light, fresh air and one spectacular view. Sozin's comet had turned he sky a deep blood-red and the world around us seemed to glow faintly, as if gleaming off a great reflection of gold. How could something so significantly dangerous and dooming be so… well, pretty?

I sigh and stretch out – as much as I can do anyway.

For some reason, though I was still a prisoner in chains, I felt a lot more comfortable in the airship than I ever did on the Southern Raider's boat. I was – quite literally – more in my element and I couldn't help but relax with the familiar feeling of swaying with the wind, even if it was slightly different to the raw nature of flying with my glider. It offered some peace of mind at least.

Tiro had left some while ago for a debriefing. A lot of time had passed since we'd taken off from the Fire Nation Capital, yet he was still there. They hadn't even bothered with a replacement prison guard and just had two static guards posted outside the door, standing as still and silent as statues. I would've tried to escape but unfortunately this time, they'd decided to leave the shackles on even if they had removed the gag. It allowed me to move my arms a bit, but I still couldn't do any air bending with my movements restricted as much as this.

I find my mind venturing back to earlier.

General Chen had slipped in here earlier before take-off, his face thundering like a storm.

"I've been _reassigned_," he'd spat at me, his eyes filled with anger as he clenched his fists at his side. "I'm having to stay behind in the homeland to attend Princess Azula's coronation as, apparently, she's lacking security and guards. Which is strange because she should have a whole army at her disposal..." He shakes his head. "So unfortunately, if Ozai does decide to kill you then I'm afraid I will miss your final show, but if somehow you're still breathing by the end of this…" The smile he had given me had made my blood run cold. "Then I will have you all to myself. And you will be sorry that you missed your chance at a merciful death."

He'd left shortly after that, storming out of the room with a laugh. Even though his words had been expectantly scarring, I felt a little lighter at the prospect of Chen not being on the airship with me. But something still lingered in my mind long after he'd gone.

_His eyes_.

There had been insanity in there. He was unravelling. I guess near death had shaken him somewhat. His mind was so bent on revenge and making me suffer, it was twisting him into some kind of animal.

It was… weird. Being the reason why someone was going over the edge wasn't something I could take lightly. He was no longer neat and well-kept; for the first time, his hair was at disarray, stubble had appeared on his chin and he could never keep his eyes in one place for more than ten seconds – unless he was glaring at me. But I didn't doubt his promise of a merciless death. Not for one second.

And his _laugh_. I shudder at the memory. Best not think about Chen now. I was terrified enough as it was. I could die today. And maybe Zuko would too, if I was to be bait.

I was seriously beginning to doubt Sho's advice.

**.:oOo:.**

When Tiro comes back, he looks as pale as a sheet. He waves away the guards standing at the door and enters, bringing with him an almost visible ripple of distress.

"I know what their plan is," He bursts out.

I'm surprised. He was telling _me_? I guess I was the only one here. _Strange…_

I snap my mind back to him. "They're going to use the comet to enhance their fire bending so that they… they can burn down Ba Sing Se. To the ground. They're going to kill everyone."

I choke on something non-existent. _"What_?"

"That's what the air ships are for. What this whole plan is!" Tiro's breathing becomes ragged and he paces the room. I had never seen him lose it like this before. "They planned it from the start! This is so… _wrong_! I can't believe Ozai would do this; he's meant to the world's saviour. The one uniting the world. But he's not saving it, he's destroying it. No wonder only a few people know the true intentions of his plan!" He turns to me to continue his rant. "These people he intends to burn aren't soldiers, they're civilians. I mean some are soldiers, yes, but among farmers and shop keepers and doctors as well. There will be husbands, wives, children who have no idea –"

"Calm down, Tiro." I say gently.

He stops abruptly and sucks in a deep breath. He bows his head.

_Oh spirits, help me. _I scrabble to find something distracting. As luck will have it, I'm struck by a thought. "Have you got a family, Tiro?"

He looks up at me in a startled way. I wonder if it was a bit too personal but I don't care as I was desperate to divert him. And to be perfectly honest, I was slightly curious. He must be around his mid-thirties, so he was old enough to have a family. I wanted to know.

"Yes," he says after a while. He sits down on a stool and rubs a weary hand through his hair, making it stick up out of place. "I have a wife and two children at home." I'm relieved to find that his voice is slightly calmer. He hesitates before pulling out a folded piece of parchment from a pouch looped around his belt. He unfolds it with a certain tenderness and then holds up a painted picture of a smiling, raven-haired woman out towards me. The tension leaves his face slightly and I smile. "This is my wife Leila," he tells me, adoration in his voice ringing clear. "I haven't seen her in a while though. It's been six months since I was last home…" He trails off.

I gaze at the parchment, inspecting the joyful and carefree expression the woman wore.

"She's beautiful." My voice comes out quieter than I'd meant it to.

He smiles brightly at me, seeming to be proud of this. "Yes, she is."

To my surprise, he then tells me more about her – how they met when they were seventeen and how he was so nervous at their wedding he almost tripped over his own robes – and for the moment we forget who we are. We're no longer enemies on different sides. Not a prisoner and her guard (though it certainly should've been). I like to say that we were friends.

However Tiro may be distracted now, but the revelation didn't stop the nagging of my mind and I find it hard to focus on his words.

As if there wasn't enough pressure already.

"What about your children?" I ask, in a vain attempt to distract myself now. "How old are they?"

He sighs, relaxing just a little more. "My youngest is eight years old. He still loves to get himself into all sorts of trouble. I had to apologise to the neighbours when they woke up one morning to find one of their animals covered in his new paints." He chuckles fondly and I twitch a smile back in response, imagining a sheep-pig covered in bright pink paint. "My daughter, Nori, is older, probably around the same age as you actually–" He chokes to a stop and I look up in surprise to meet his distressed gaze. He turns pale and slowly looks down at the shackles around my wrists and back up to my eyes, horror dawning on his face.

"Tiro…?" I begin worriedly. He doesn't respond. "Tiro, what is it?"

He swallows, as if to wet his throat. He's about to speak again, but is cut off by a horrible loud screech of metal from outside that grates against my ears. We turn sharply to the window and gape as one of the other airships crashes into its neighbour. The metal skins tear themselves open and they begin to fall.

_What's going on?_

There's a sudden but small flash of blue that jumps from the falling ones onto a still-flying airship next to it, followed immediately by a green and black blur.

I blink. _Surely that couldn't be Sokka and… Toph?_

It's not before they land on the neighbouring ship when I see the flick of a ponytail. I can't keep the excited – and embarrassing – squeal from escaping my mouth.

_It _is_ them! They're here! And they knew about the fleet!_

I sense Tiro looking at me but I ignore him, my eyes fixed on the two specks that are making their way across the airships. I wonder if they know I am even on this ship. And why were they on their own?

My initial excitement turns to dread and I feel the smile on my face dive and shatter.

How did they expect to take down an entire fleet of airships _alone_? Where was Zuko? And Aang?

My thoughts are interrupted by the sudden appearance of two imperial guards. "Lieutenant," one of them says smartly to Tiro. "The prisoner is wanted in the front bay of the gondola immediately."

_Shit_, I grind my teeth together. _Guess this is it then_.

Tiro apparently doesn't hear the urgent tone of the soldier and instead looks worriedly between me and them. "The front bay?" he repeats. He closes his eyes for a second longer than a blink and he looks sharper when he reopens them. "Did he say why?"

"I'm the bait." I tell Tiro quietly, shutting up when the soldiers turn towards me. Tiro stiffens slightly.

"Phoenix King Ozai didn't specify," the soldiers replies. A tad impatient. "He did however express the importance of _time_."

Tiro stares at the outstretched hand in front of him before his hand finally moves to his belt. I frown worriedly at his numbness. He presses the keys into the gloved palm of the Imperial Firebender.

I silently hope that he will suddenly realise how wrong this all is, ditch his loyalties and break me free. But he doesn't move as the other soldier steps past him. I find myself shaking as the Imperial Firebender opens the cage door and takes hold of my chains.

"Move," he orders gruffly, his voice slightly distorted through the helmet.

I tentatively step outside the cage, my nerves jangling more than the chains around my feet. The soldier grabs the lengths of chain attached to the shackles around my wrists and frogmarches me over to the door. I try to catch Tiro's eye as we walk past, but he doesn't even look up. He just keeps staring into the ground. I feel my heart sink just a little as I'm led out of the room, feeling a little betrayed.

_He was a soldier. _My voice of reason says sharply. _Don't try and convince yourself otherwise._

And yet, I can't stop the tear that slowly rolls down my cheek. I couldn't do this on my own.

We are just about to turn a corner when a voice stops the soldiers either side of me.

"Wait!" Tiro calls from behind us. My heart goes from scraping along the rocky bottom of misery to taking a huge leap into the air. I twist my head around to see him running out of the room and striding confidently towards us.

"I am the prisoner's escort," he says as he comes nearer, a little breathlessly. "And by Phoenix King's order, I am not allowed to leave her out of my sight."

The two soldiers share a glance before the first one nods. "By all means. You may follow."

Tiro takes the offer immediately, walking just behind. I give him the tiniest of smiles to him before I'm pulled forward again.

Despite the looming disaster that's to come, I feel as if I can face this with some reinforcement.

**.:oOo:.**

The control room is at the very front of the ship, in the nose of the long and ugly face of the gondola. It's a relatively dark room with a wheel and numerous pipes lining the walls. There's a section of the wall that sticks out with different levers and gauges. There seems to be too many people for everyone to have a job, yet no one is without something to do. When we arrive, everyone's in motion, shouting down funnels to the lower levels, watching pressure gauges. No one's out of place.

_Apart from us_, I think._ We_ continue walking through the room – earning a few glances from others but I'm used to that by now – and I notice Ozai is at the very front, glaring down one of the soldiers offering him a safety line. Then I frown. What would the Phoenix King need a harness for?

"My king." The soldiers greet him, bowing low. The length of chain goes with them as they dip towards the ground and I find myself awkwardly stooping alongside them, much to my distaste.

Ozai turns around, brushing over the bowed forms of the soldiers and locking onto me. "Ah, you have her," he crows, his voice smiling even though he wasn't. "Take her down immediately. We're going to be seeing some more resistance soon."

"Down?" I can't help but splutter. Last time I checked, 'down' meant a thousand foot drop into the ocean.

The soldiers around me turn angrily at my outburst and I wonder if I've – again – stepped too far. But thankfully, Ozai just seems amused.

"Yes, I believe that's what I said. It defeats the purpose if my enemies don't see you. And of course, you will be put to use." A corner of his mouth twitches. "It'll be interesting to see just how far your _friends_ are willing to go to save you from harm."

_At least I have friends, _I want to spit back along with a rather long string of other nasty words but I keep my mouth shut. Mostly because of how his voice had reminded me of General Chen.

Ozai nods to the soldiers behind me before he disappears through a hatch at the front of the ship and the control room whistles with air. On his signal, I find myself wrenched back towards a pole in the centre of the room by the two soldiers. It's painted black and juts from the floor like a spike and goes through the ceiling. It looked like death.

So I start resisting. But they continue to haul me across the room and slam me into the pole. My head and back hurts but I don't lessen my efforts. I throw a look in Tiro's direction.

He is confused, but looks angry. "What are you doing to the prisoner?" He asks heatedly to no one in particular and in return, no one answers him.

I cry out in frustration as my struggling proves useless as they lock the chain of the shackles around the pole. I kick air out at them, but they manage dodge it and secure the chains around my ankles as well.

"What's going on?" Tiro demands again as the soldiers walk past him to a lever sticking out of the wall. They don't answer him and simply wrap gloved fingers around the lever. My heart pulses through my body. _Were they just going to drop me?_

"Let me go!" I yell, thrashing against the chains.

They pull the lever down and I brace myself to be dropped. Nothing happens.

Was that it?

I yelp in surprise as there's a sudden whoosh of air… But I'm _not falling_.

Half-relieved and half-confused, I look down at my feet and see that a small circle has appeared around the pole. Steam hisses and gathers around my feet. There's a jerk that makes me skitter before it softens, but it's still moving… It takes a few seconds to realise I'm sinking.

_Presentation_. The word rings in my memory. They want to _present_ me to them.

Everyone's eyes are on me, the flurry of activity coming to a standstill as they watch me go down. I make sure my face is expressionless, disregarding all of them as I sought out a familiar face.

I just manage to catch Tiro's eye one last time, before the platform I stand on lowers itself into thin air, hanging from the cursed pole that I was tied to. It drops under the ship until I disappear out of the control room altogether. My face is blasted with warm air and the wind whips strands of hair into my face. The underbelly of the ship yearns above me, stretching out with impressive size as I'm left suspended underneath the control room.

The platform stops moving. I expect it to sway with the air currents but it stays awkwardly static. I make the mistake of looking down beyond the small platform that surrounds the pole.

"_Oh_, okay." I rest my head against the stupid pole behind me, looking up at the ships above me. "That's a long way to fall."

In the small hole above me, I see Tiro staring down at me. I hold his gaze until he moves away and out of sight. Is he up to something? I hope so.

I subconsciously move my feet away from the edge of the platform, wondering how I could get out of this one.

I let my head drop. I guess that meant I was alone for the time being.

After a while it becomes oddly serene, swaying under the ship so high up with the fresh air around me. Sozin's comet continues to make its fiery path through the sky and I am oddly awestruck at its beauty. I jiggle my chains a bit, but it becomes clear I can't get out of them without some kind of key. I was stuck.

Suddenly a huge plume of fire comes out from the front of the ship ahead of me. And I mean _huge_. I watch as it keeps extending and growing until it finally crashes into the ground below, flames devouring the earth hungrily. It grows bigger and hotter. I cry out and try to edge further away from the heat, turning my head away from its blazing light.

I hear the screeching of birds and the frantic beating of wings, even louder than the hissing and spitting of flames below. Sweat forms on my brow and I manage to turn my head slightly to survey the damage of the fire below. The charred remains make me want to cry. I can't believe that a single firebender was capable of such destruction. Didn't they have enough power already without the comet?!

"What's that?" I hear someone shout above me. From the control room.

I squint through the flames and see it too. Some kind of figure is standing in the fire's path, just some silhouette on a pillar of rock. The heat and light becomes too much and I have to close my eyes again. But the image is burned inside my lids. I wish I could yell at the person to run. They must have a death wish to just be _standing_ there!

Something zips past my vision and there's a crash. My head whips upwards. A twisted mass of metal is all that remains of one of the ships turbines. A large piece of rock is poking out from the airship's side.

_Rock_?

Two more blurs fly past and disable the other engines. The huge pillar of fire comes to an abrupt halt and for the first time I'm able to look forward.

And my mouth swings open. Aang stands at the top one of the columns of rock. He spins and thrusts his fist out, releasing a huge plume of fire. It hits the engine and there's a loud groan of metal and the airship begins to fall out of the sky.

My feet slip as it tilts on its side. I can hear the chaos of boots above me as people run for cover. Not that there was anywhere to run.

I look up through the hole above. Tiro is there and he's _fighting _the other people in the control room, spectacularly holding them off despite his missing arm. He's angrily shoving them back and kicking fire at the other soldiers.

"Tiro!" I shout in panic and he looks at me amidst all the pressing soldiers.

"You go!" he yells, punching a few yells, punching a few back "Please, end this corruption that has become my nation. You have to stop them!"

He waves something in his fist at me.

The keys.

"Catch!" He says. He swings his arm out and the little shining ball of metal shoots through the air. I draw in a breath, sucking the keys closer to me and drawing the shimmering bundle of metal into my hands with the restricted air bending the chains allow, mostly with my fingertips. It smacks into my palm and there's a terrifying, fumbling moment where I almost drop them, but then my fingers wrap themselves around the loop before they can fall. The metal shines brightly in the comet's light.

I look back to Aang and see that he's watching me, his eyes bug-wide.

"Hey, Aang," I whisper. To myself really.

The ship's other engine gives out, over heating from the amount of effort it takes on to the ship up by itself.

There's a laugh above me. "So the Avatar has sent his friend to his doom all by his self. Is this what the world calls its _hero_?"

_Ozai_. Of course it was him burning the earth to toast. I grit my teeth.

"Seria!" Aang voice carries across the space in front of us and my anger dissipates as I hear the anguish in his voice.

There's a flash of red above me. A crimson cloak wrapped in flames drops down beside me and Ozai jumps from the bow of the airship, fire propelling him towards Aang. Sparks fly at me as he goes past and I turn away, wincing as some sting my exposed face and arms leaving behind cherry-red marks.

Turning back, I project my voice through the air. "Don't worry, Aang!" The lock comes away with a twist of the keys and I yank the chains off. "I'll be fine! Do what you have to do."

I don't say anymore; Ozai has landed in front of him. I hope the spirits are on Aang's side today.

I throw the chains away, making sure I keep a strong grip on the pole as I bend my head down to survey the situation. The airship was about to crash into the ground. I calculate I have about ten seconds.

I hesitate. The easiest thing to do would be to jump and get off while I have the chance. But someone is stopping me from doing that.

With all the speed and agility of a weasel-snake, I launch myself through the hole above me and back into the control room. The room is diagonal and lurch to grab one of the control panels to keep from losing my balance. Most of the soldiers are running away from the control room, however there's a large group of them all laying into someone on the floor.

"Tiro!" I shout, blasting away the other soldiers and hauling him up by the shoulder strap of his armour. He groans and I see the number of blue and red marks that line his face. Pushing down the raising anger and guilt, I try to pull him up and drag him over to the hole. But he won't stand and he's too heavy to be able to make it out in time. I look outside. We were literally about to crash. The people left in the room were securing themselves to some wires or holding onto the pipes that line the walls, preparing for the impact. Gritting my teeth, I drag Tiro's half-conscious body closer to me.

"Brace yourself!" I say into his ear. I'm not even sure he heard me, but I think I see his eyes flutter for a second.

I just about manage to create a ball of protective air around us before there's a huge shriek of metal grinding on stone.

And then the world turns upside-down.

**N/A – Erm sorry about the long wait to get this up. I won't bore you with excuses but just trust me they were good reasons. Of course I wouldn't abandon you amazing people without good reason! ;) Anyway, I will do a shout-out next chapter which will be out a lot sooner than this one so don't you worry! Hope you all had amazing Christmases and have an amazing New Year!**

**Feedback is valued and taken into consideration (as well as me having a happy jump every time my email says there's a new review…) Thanks for all your lovely comments and to all those who've favourite/followed this story since my last update. All the best!**

**~Zozeebobs**


	16. Falling Through

_**Falling Through**_

_**Seria's POV**_

Thunder. That's all I can hear. Thunder and _noise_.

The thundering of twisting metal and grinding rocks explodes around us, roaring, deafening. But it's not just that. There's the sharp hissing of steam as the pipes crumple that fills the impossible gaps that the thunder leaves behind. The snapping of metal supports. The cries of pain.

The room is compacting, slowly shrinking. The glass in the windows shatter and sends shards flying across the room, little flashes of orange light as they reflect the comet's rays and soar through the air.

I close my eyes and grip Tiro tighter as shrapnel pings off the side of my shield of air, waiting for it to end.

Eventually, the shrinking and groaning stops and a heavy silence is left to hang heavily in the room.

A few moments after the quiet moves in, a new noise begins to fill it, rising and falling like a quivering and twisted harp; moaning. I lift my head and squint through the dust and shield of air.

It's stopped. Finally. I thought it would go on forever.

I let go of my hold on the protective air around us and feel a little bit of my energy go with it. I fight back a wave of exhaustion as the adrenaline leaves me. Dust settles around us and I can't hold back the coughing fit that comes with the first intake of breath of the musty air.

I look down at Tiro. He's breathing very lightly and his eyes are closed. If it weren't for the furrow in his brow and the occasional stutter of breath, you would say he was sleeping.

"Tiro?" I whisper, giving him a little shake.

His eyes open for a second, so slight that there's just a paper-thin slice of amber before they shut again, but it's enough to know that he's not in danger of losing his life, be it he was in pain.

I gently rest him back against the ground and stand up slowly, my limbs creaking as they uncurl from their cramped positions. The ceiling looks low and I have to stoop to avoid hitting my head on the swollen bulge of what was once smooth iron. The room around me is dark. Most of the windows are now blocked by scraps of metal with the exception of a few. However the light filtering through the windows just seems to catch the countless dust particles and smoke, making everything seem hazy and obscured. Dust was everywhere, coating my arms and turning the hairs on my forearm paper-white, and it makes me sneeze. The noise sounds very loud in this room.

I notice something. At the very end, there's a tear in the walls where the steel was ripped open, gleaming bright with orange light. Our way out.

I carefully pick my way over to the opening, making sure not to step on any moaning bodies on the way over. I give a rough estimate and calculate that I could probably squeeze Tiro through, with some effort.

I make my way back over to Tiro. A shard of glass breaks under my foot and the sound resonates through the air. Everything seems so _loud _in the solid silence of the room.

"It's me," I whisper quietly to him as I touch his shoulder. I think I hear a small exhale of breath. I crouch lower and drape his one arm around my shoulder, slinging my own around his waist. There's a shudder before he goes completely limp. _Okay,_ I think gritting my teeth._ Three… two… one…_

He's a _lot _heavier than he looks. I didn't realise how much muscle was hidden under that armour and it didn't help that he was nearly a full-grown man. My legs strain as I take his full weight and my shoulders ache. I set my teeth and take a small step forward; then another; and another...

I half-carry, half-drag him across the room, hooking my hand around the shoulder strap of his chest plate to stop him from falling to the ground. My breathing's coming out in short rasps by the time I reach the opening. Biting back a bout of coughing, I crouch lower with trembling legs and set Tiro back on the ground so he was half in and out of the ship, hanging awkwardly halfway between the opening. I step over him and to the outside, blinking at the sudden light, then take a hold of his arms to pull him out, cursing as I cut my arm on a piece of jagged metal poking from the split wall.

Blood drips down my arm and onto the dusty ground beneath, glistening sickly.

I ignore it and grunt as I continue to pull him out, careful to avoid any glass and shrapnel. Once his feet are clear of the hole, with a little help with airbending, I manage to carry him over to a fallen chunk of rock and I prop him up against the cold surface.

My arm stings but it should stop bleeding soon. It's Tiro I'm worried about. He's in a bad way. There's a small burn on his neck and a deep cut on his forehead that leaked a continuous river of red. I just hope he doesn't have concussion. I untie the sash around my waist and wrap it around his head, hoping it will be enough to stop the bleeding. I look helplessly to the burn and wish I had some salve or something to help soothe the pain.

I sit up suddenly, an idea forming in my head. The medical bay was next to my cell, I remember that. Maybe there will be some jars still intact.

I turn back to Tiro. "Are you awake?"

There's no response and I sigh. I can't leave him alone like this. Not in this condition. I bend down and try to make him as comfortable as possible, adjusting the make-shift bandage, all the while thinking about a small jar of salve on a shelf somewhere in the ship.

Then I see the second burn.

It's just off to the side of his stomach, just a little bigger than the span of my hand. It looks horrible. The fire had eaten away at the armour and linen shirt underneath as the skin is red and raw, blackened in some of the worst areas.

I rub my face with my hands. _Oh no_…

This wasn't good. Not good at all. I _had_ to get the salve now. If there was still any left.

I slowly turn my head around to stare at the gaping black hole of the ship, leering at me from where I sat.

Coming to a decision, I get up to my feet and drag him around the side of the rock, away from the ominous jaws of the ship. "Tiro? I know you probably can't hear me, but I've got to go back into the ship. You need medicine. But I'll be back soon, I promise."

As I expected there was no answer, but it felt better saying it anyway. After a slight hesitation, I walk away from him and over to the opening once more. Then I lift up neck of my shirt to my nose and stepped back inside.

**.:oOo:.**

The dust swirls around the medical room lazily, illuminated by the light slicing through the cracks left in the windows. I peer at the shelves in the half light, trying to find the right one. It had taken me a reasonable amount of time to find the room, but at least it had been left quite intact, save for one corner where a stack scrolls had been demolished. I didn't spot anyone on my way to the room and my only obstacle was a large beam blocking my path that I had to crawl under to get by.

Some of the vials were smashed on the floor, their contents littering the floor, but the ones left still looked promising. I had to pick my way over jellies, creams, pastes, powders, and at one point, a large jar of elbow-leeches. My fingers skim over the muddled labels at record speed. I didn't want to stay here long. The hallways seemed haunted and when I peered down one end and saw a deep, black void. A dripping sound emanated from somewhere beyond my line of sight in the abyss. The vents whispered and rattled like a string of old bones. Strange echoes of distant sounds made my skin crawl with goosebumps.

There is a loud creak above and something crashes down beside me. I cry out in shock and snatch a few jars off the shelf. I rush out of the room and back down the eerie hallway I'd come from without looking back.

I reach the fallen beam and fumble in the darkness for the opening beneath it. I push the medicine jars through, sliding them across the tiled floor. I want to be out of here as quickly as possible. The air is unnaturally still and the darkness was gathering in a threatening omen, like a storm cloud that billowed across the sky and swallowed up the blue.

I get down on my stomach and begin to drag myself along the floor and underneath the beam. There is very little space and the gap is about the height of two heads. The heavy metal beam was over a meter thick. The ground is covered with dust and I struggle to keep from sneezing, not having any room to push my shirt over my nose. I was certain there would be a grey smudge on my shirt when I emerged back outside.

I am halfway through when there's a loud groan of metal, coming unbidden from the depths of the blackness above. I freeze, listening to the silence that follows for any movement. Then it comes again, but this time there is a loud crack and the beam begins to fall.

Instinct takes over. I thrust my legs backwards, propelling myself forward with a shot of air as my hands scrabble against the tiles to pull me along. I clear the beam just as there's a loud crash behind me and an explosion of dust erupts into a fog that coats everything in ash-grey.

I slide to a stop and start coughing, waving my hand at the dust as I struggle to stand up. A powerful surge of energy goes from my body and I'm left shaking in the darkness.

I _need_ to get out of here. It was getting too claustrophobic.

I walk back over to the beam and pick up the two surviving jars – one had been crushed under the beam – and hurriedly make my way back down the hallways to the control room. I'd just about had enough of this place.

As I step through the doorway and into the control room, I find that the soldiers are starting to wake up, slowly and stiffly as if they were wooden puppets being pulled by their strings. Nearly all of them seem injured. The one closest to me is sitting back on his knees with his helmet on the floor beside him, blood running down his head and into his eyes from some invisible cut above his hairline. He squints at me, trying to figure out who I am. I smile at him, hoping the layers of dust and darkness will not reveal the tell-tale features of obviously-not-Fire-Nation.

His eyes linger for a second before they slide away to survey the room. I breathe a sigh of relief and continue forward, passing through the room like a ghost as the dead begin to wake up. I'm about to step outside when I stop. I look down at the medicine jars in my hands and then back at the soldiers behind me. They're stumbling around, helping each other up. Some of them aren't even standing.

A wave of nausea hits me. The fallen beam is now blocking the hallway to the medical bay and these soldiers needed their wounds treated urgently.

I open one of the vials and look at the green coloured paste inside. I lean in closer and inhale; banana leaf, just like the ones my grandmother used to grow in her vegetable garden. The scent suddenly becomes overpowering as it brings me back a memory that I never knew I had…

_Five years ago, the summer was blistering hot._

_The sky was a yawning blue canvas and the soil had been baked by the relentless heat of the sun. Most of the people kept in the shade, swatting away bugs as they stayed out of the heat. The village was high in the mountains and we were always grateful on days such as these for the cool breeze that drifted over the town from the River Valley._

_My brother and I were outside sitting precariously in the 'Y' of a banana tree, our naked feet dangling, watching our grandmother in her little garden as she ground up her herbs and sealed them away in linen pouches. The huge green leaves above offered us some shade from the sun as we sat together in the branches each chewing lazily on banana leaves._

"_Grandma," I said. "What are the plants for?" _

_She turned her old, weathered face to me, her deep blue eyes finding mine. I remember that they were always smiling even if she wasn't. They were lovely to look at. "They're medicine, dear," My grandmother said. "I give them to your father. He may know a human body, but he doesn't know a thing about the herb that heals it." I nodded; our father was the village doctor. She then clicked her tongue, her own way of showing her disapproval. Yen and I caught each other's eye and giggled. "These herbs will help the men crippled by back-pains, the women with toothaches, and the children with fevers."_

"_What does that plant do?" I asked, pointing to the tiny red berries she was currently pounding into a watery paste._

"_Bacui berries," she said. "They counter the poisons of the white-jade flower if someone eats one. Plus, your mother is making a jam for your sandwiches tomorrow."_

_I was confused. "Why would anyone want to eat something that makes them sick?"_

_She shrugged. "Some people mistake it for another plant."_

_I nodded again, secretly still not understanding how some can be so stupid as to eat it, but just wanting to please Grandma._

"_What do these do?" Yen asked, twirling a banana leaf with some clumsy airbending. His airbending wasn't as advanced as me. Grandma said that I was a natural and so was Yen, but he got frustrated too easily and gave up. He flicked the leaf too hard with a sharp puff of air and it fluttered out of his reach as it fell slowly to the ground next to Grandma._

_She picked up the banana leaf. "These are used for treating burns and blisters. Although your father will argue that they're more practical in a cream, there's nothing better than slapping a few wet leaves on a burn. They work just as well."_

_With a gesture of her wrist the leaf spins upwards, falling into Yen's lap. He grins and then flicks it to me and we begin a wild game of catch. Our game gets faster and faster while our grandmother tends to her plants. Yen falls off the branch in a crazy attempt to catch it and then we start laughing and just can't stop until Grandma waves us away. Then mother calls us in and we run back inside to fig-rolls and honey cakes…_

**.:oOo:.**

I blink and the image fades away.

The smell of the cakes and the sound of my little brother's laughter disappears as my family's faces fade away again, sinking back into the darkest corners of my mind.

I sway on my feet for a moment and then bend down and quietly leave behind one of the jars of salve on the floor before I step out into the sunlight. The jar containing the banana leaf paste is still gripped in my hand.

As I walk back over to Tiro, I lift my other hand up to flick away a single tear that was running down my cheek.


	17. The Fall of a King

_**The Fall of a King**_

_**Seria's POV**_

Tiro is awake when I reach him. His teeth are clenched and his hand is at his side, examining the burn. The sash that had been wrapped around his forehead lies discarded on the ground.

I frown and sidle over to him, wondering why he had removed the bandage. He looks dazed, his head hanging limply from his neck as he stares down at the burn. He doesn't even notice me approach him and when I'm close enough I knock his hand away from his burn.

"Don't touch it. It'll get infected." I say to him.

He blinks up at me in surprise, looking me up and down. His eyes are a little glazed, but they widen as he takes in my appearance. "W-Where have you been?" he croaks.

I look down at myself. The dust had coated every inch of my skin and every crease of my clothes, sticking to me like a leech. I looked like I was made of ash. "I went back inside to find you some medicine. You needed something for that burn."

He smiles weakly. "Thank you…" He trails off and frowns. "Sorry, I don't know your name."

"It's Seria." I say absentmindedly as I open the jar of salve. "How are you feeling?"

"_Seria_…" He turns his eyes up at the burnt-orange sky and smiles up at the comet as it makes its journey above. "That's a pretty name."

I look at him warily. "You're delirious. Probably with mild concussion." I say. "You didn't answer my question; how are you?"

He chuckles slightly, and then the laughter turns in a fit of coughing, racking coughs that sound painful as they're ripped out of his chest. He spits out something that looked alarmingly red and winces. "Could be better."

I stare at the glistening blood on the ground in alarm. Picking up the jar I dip my fingers into the cool green paste and smear it on his burn. He hisses through his teeth.

"It'll hurt at first but it should get better in a minute." I say apologetically.

After a while, his face relaxes and he takes the jar from me. "I can do it."

"If you insist–"

Something bright flies above our heads, so fast that we just see a glimmer of what's left of a fiery trail. There's an explosion of rock and my mouth swings open as something shoots _through _the huge pillar of rock that we were lying against. No, _someone_; in a giant ball of air. There was a white light emanating from inside and a pair of skinny arms…

_Aang?!_

We are forced to cover our heads with our hands as there is a shower of rocks. Aang shoots by and chases after the orange trail. When we look up again, the top half of the pillar begins to fall, toppling over us as it loses its fight against gravity.

"We've got to move!" I shout, pulling Tiro to his feet. I scrabble for my stained sash and the salve. I look up. The pillar pitches forward and blocks out the comet's light, shrouding the ground at our feet with its dark shadow.

I begin to run, tugging Tiro after me. He grimaces in pain but says nothing as we hurry out of the falling rock's shadow that grows with each passing second. It's about half way and safety is close, a few metres perhaps.

But we're not going to make it.

The pillar goes into free-fall and descends on us. I try to sprint faster but Tiro's gasping for breath and slowing us down. If we don't get out of the way in time then–

Grabbing Tiro by the arm, I shoot air from my other hand and manage to clear us out of the rock's shadow just as it crashes to earth. The ground rumbles beneath us and then everything goes silent once more.

It occurs to me that falling objects always seem to want to crush me.

Tiro coughs as I lower him onto the ground. "So…" he says weakly, giving a thin smile. "How many times have you saved me in the past ten minutes?"

"What else would I have done? Did you think I was just going to let you get crushed by a rock?" I snap, still slightly on edge. Another explosion echoes through the air, further away this time. We watch the sky for a moment and see a flock of birds flying up into the sky, screeching to each other as they struggle to get away from the destruction. I tilt my head to the tops of the rocks above. "I'm going to see what's happening."

"Be careful!" Tiro shouts as I leap up into the air, the wind trailing behind me like a ship's wake in water. I land lightly on top of a rock and survey the view.

There are two silhouettes in the distance, standing on a pillar further away. My eyes widen as I recognise the forms: Aang and Ozai.

They seemed to have come to a stop in their fighting. I squint my eyes at them. I didn't know if it was my perspective, but Aang looked a lot taller than Ozai. Does Aang have his hand pressed to Ozai's forehead? All was still until there was a bright blue light that suddenly poured from Aang, coming from what looked like his mouth and eyes, its luminous beam disappearing up into the clouds above.

My breath catches in my throat and I stare at the light in strange fascination. It was enticing and beautiful, but there was something eerie about it. It wasn't natural, it was something else.

As I watch, Ozai's own head tilts back and he has his own light of a deep fiery red that shoots up into the clouds, piercing the sky with its intense colour.

They were like two beacons of light, shining for the world to see. I couldn't tear my gaze away.

"What's going on up there?" I hear Tiro shouting below but I don't answer him. I doubt I could move my lips if I even tried, much less form words to make a coherent sentence. So I simply continue to watch in awe as the red light from Ozai slowly takes over Aang's body too, spreading like a fire over his skin.

I don't know what the light means or what it is actually supposed to be, but there was something about the red that was ominous. _Evil _even. It made me shudder as if I was the one experiencing the red light crawling over my skin, consuming me until there was nothing left. Like a disease. It spread like a rash and tightened my throat so I choked on my own breath–

Suddenly, there's an explosion of white light that ruptures the sky, one so bright that I'm temporarily blinded. I throw my hands up over my face and stumble back as a roaring fills my ears. Then something close to a shockwave pushes against me and I stumble backwards. My foot goes over the edge and the next thing I know I'm tumbling through the air. I can't even tell which way I'm falling. Panicking and still blind, I create a bubble of air that covers me completely and brace myself. It's just in time as the walls of my bubble crash into the ground and I bounce up once, twice, before I let myself fall heavily to the earth.

I lay there stunned. Can I hear shouting? I rub my eyes, wishing the spots of light would disappear. Tiro's suddenly there beside me.

"Seria! Are you alright?"

I try to talk and just manage a pathetic rasp. I clear my throat and try again. "I'm fine. Nothing broken." I blink hard. "Cant see though…"

"Don't worry, it should pass," he grabs my arm and hauls me up. I blink hard and shapes begin to form. I stare at the blob that I think is his face. "I thought you were going to fall to your death."

"It's not that easy to get rid of me," I mutter. I try and wave away the light dancing in my eyes but it has no effect.

Tiro laughs. "So I've gathered." His tone changes and he peers behind me. "Speaking of which, what _was_ that light?"

I smile blindly. "That was Aang." Even in my dazed state, I notice the blank look on his face so I add, "The Avatar."

He shakes his head – at least I think he does. "I knew the Avatar was powerful but…" He trails off.

"I've never seen him do anything like that before." I agree, scrambling my brains together. "But Aang is smart and, despite being twelve years old, is incredibly wise." The white patches in my vision fade and with new eyes, I see the shock etched on his face.

"I never knew the Fire Nation's greatest threat was only… a child." He murmurs.

"He could still kick your butt any day." I say. A little defensively.

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… I didn't know that children were so actively involved with this war. You say he's _twelve_?" I nod and he sighs heavily, looking as if he had aged a few decades.

We remain silent for a while as my sight comes back to me, the wind the only thing in motion as it rustled cloth and hair in its wake. "We should go." Tiro says eventually. "Before the soldiers come looking for us." I glance at his burn worriedly and he notices. "I will be fine."

"If you say so." I'm suddenly eager to get going. "Let's go and meet up with Aang then. I think I know someone who can heal you."

"Wait." I turn to him and he looks… nervous. I'd never seen him genuinely shy like this before. "Won't he resent my presence?"

I laugh and start walking towards where the light had come from. "He was taught firebending by Prince Zuko – the one who had spent the better part of his year trying to capture him – and I know for a fact that they had tea and danced with each other last week."

There's a moment's pause before Tiro laughs quietly behind me. "What a strange world we live in."

I couldn't agree with him more.

**.:oOo:.**

An airship had docked on the same pillar as Aang and Ozai. I would've been worried but I was pretty certain that it was friendly. Besides it didn't _look _as if there was a fighting going on.

When reached the foot of the pillar, I look worriedly at Tiro. It seemed that the salve had done wonders on his burn, but it wasn't miracle-medicine. I don't think he had wanted me to spot the sheen of sweat on his forehead or the way his body tensed when he put his foot down on his left side.

"Are you okay for a little more air travel?" I ask him.

He looks up at the towering rock and grits his teeth, his hand unconsciously moving to his burn. "Maybe…" he says. "As long as this is the last time."

"I promise." I say, taking hold of that handy armour strap and propelling us upwards with as much air as I can muster. My arm wrenches back as it strains to hold Tiro but luckily the air helps take the load off a little.

When we reach the top, I take in the sight in an instant. Ozai seems to have collapsed on the floor but my eyes skimmed over him. The sight of Sokka, Suki, Toph and Aang laughing together in front of me was enough to make me feel not so alone. To let the tension that had been building up like coiled springs unwind. I'd actually made it.

But there was someone missing. Zuko wasn't there. And neither was Katara. Were they on another ship?

As soon as my feet touch the rock, Toph stops laughing and whips her head around to face me. If she wasn't blind, I'd saying she was looking straight at me.

"Hey, it's Peachy!" She crows happily.

A smile grows wide on my face as my friends all turn to look at me in surprise. Then surprise turns to joy. A great big swell of my own happiness rises in my chest and I step towards them, my arms open wide.

"Seria!" Aang shouts, tackling me into a bear hug. Suddenly, I'm entangled in more limbs than I can count as we share a group, bone-crushing hug. It hurts but I couldn't care less. I was with my friends again.

"I'm so happy to see all you guys again." I mumble into someone's shoulder. There are nods of agreement. "I have to admit I wasn't sure if I would."

"Don't be stupid!" Toph says happily. "We would've found you wherever you were hiding, Peachy."

I laugh. "You guys…" My voice sounded funny and thick. I was absolutely _not _about to ruin this moment by bawling into tears.There was an answering tightening of limbs before they all let go.

Then Sokka visibly stiffens. "Excuse me, but who is _that_?"

_Oh right_, I think warily. Everyone turns around to stare at Tiro standing off to the side. He flinches as all eyes rest on him but to his credit, he clears his throat and straightens to his full height. "There's no need to be worried. I'm not an enemy." He says calmly.

Sokka narrows his eyes in mistrust. Opens his mouth to say more.

"It's okay, Sokka," I say quickly. "He's with me. Tiro helped me escape."

Sokka gives me a look and then shrugs. "If you say so."

I notice that he's leaning heavily on Suki, his leg hanging limply. I'm about to ask what happened when there's a groan and we all turn to Ozai. He's attempting to prop himself up against a rock, dragging himself up the surface in order to sit up. He survey's us with cold amber eyes, before they rest on me and his eyes narrow dangerously.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ozai growls threateningly. The others wince slightly but I step forward and bend down smiling widely at him. A sudden hot anger rises up as I stare at the monster in front of me.

"Couldn't miss your moment of glory now could I?" I say, patting his cheek. The others snicker behind me. The _Ex_-Phoenix King's face knots up in to a scowl and I have to admit he looks pretty scary, but then he bursts into a fit of coughing. "Not so tough now are you?" I mutter. Okay, so maybe it was a bit mean but he deserves it to say the least.

"You've met this loser before?" Sokka asks, his voice crusted with disgust.

"We are acquainted… unfortunately." I don't take my eyes off the man in front of me.

His gaze leaves mine as Ozai spots something behind me and stares, surprise showing for the first time on his face. I turn to find Tiro ashen-white as he looks into the eyes of the man who had been the king of his nation. I imagine Tiro would've looked up to him as a kid, watched the golden carriage in awe as it paraded through his town. The hero of the Fire Nation. Now however, reality had come crashing down on this perfect picture of the king as he realises the cruelty and coldness of the man behind the propaganda.

"What happened to him?" I ask Aang, turning my back on Ozai.

"He's lost his bending." He answers solemnly. He looks exhausted but the determined raise of his chin shows a determination that I hadn't seen before. "I took it away from him."

I stare at him in shock. "Was that what the light was?"

"You saw it?"

"It was kind of hard to miss." I smile. "And although you could've avoided nearly crushing me at one point, you were pretty badass. Well done, Avatar."

He grins proudly and I give him a messy bow, which he returns. I turn to the others. "Er… Is Katara nearby? My friend needs some medical attention." I look around trying not to look too hopeful, a shy and slightly-sheepish smile forming on my lips. "And where's Zuko?"

Toph elbows me playfully and I laugh, trying to cover up the blush that is currently staining my cheeks.

"They're both on their way to the Fire Nation Capital." Suki says. "They went to confront Azula."

The smile slides from my face. Smashes into a million pieces. "What?" I start to panic. Ozai chuckles to himself and I resist the urge to flick him away with a nice puff of air.

"What's wrong?" Toph asks and then continues without waiting for an answer. "You don't need to worry or anything. There's two of them and only one of her. They can take her on easily–"

"No!" I say and earn a few concerned looks. I run a hand through my hair. "No, you don't understand. It won't be so even with Chen."

"Chen?" Sokka says. "As in, that evil guy with the white hair?"

Aang frowns. "But didn't you, you know… take care of him?"

I can't answer him straight away. Can't think straight. Not now, give me time to process this…

Thankfully, Tiro clears his throat. "No she didn't. Chen is very much alive and is at the Capital at the moment. He was told to stay behind and be the princess' defender."

There's a silence. "Is this Chen guy a good fighter?" Toph asks into the silence

"Although I hate to pay him compliments," I breathe. "He's one of the elite Firebenders."

Sokka hisses. "_Katara_'s there too. I've got to help her."

"You can't."

Sokka stares at me indignantly. "What do you mean I _can't_?" he explodes. "Of course I can! She's my sister–"

"Even if you weren't injured, you'd have no way of getting there. You don't havea glider." I snap. Sokka glares at me.

Aang puts a hand on my shoulder. "We could take the airship."

"No," I shake my head. "No, you need to find the medical bay and take care of Sokka and Tiro. Treat them first." I ignore Sokka's cries of outburst and look at Aang. "The airship will be too slow anyway. My glider is faster."

"Okay." Aang says and I want to hug him. "We'll be right behind you."

"Your glider is in a room just outside the control room in the other ship." Tiro says. "It was locked away so it should be relatively in good condition."

"Thank you, Tiro." I say, relieved to hear some good news. "These people are going to treat you well. I promise I'll be back soon." There's an awkward silence as the lie dies in the air. Who knows when I'd be back? I look at the others. "I'm sorry to have to run off like this."

"Don't worry we get it," Sokka says, waving his hand impatiently. "Just make sure my sister's alright, you got that?" I nod. "Good. Now, g_o_."

I smile one last time before I vault off the side of the rock and onto the neighbouring ones. As I jump from pillar to pillar to the smoking remains of the fallen ship, the smile on my face disappears. I breathe out shakily. So it wasn't over. Not yet.

I thought of Zuko. And Katara. How would they hold against both of them? Knowing Chen, he'll probably have something up his sleeve to turn it to his advantage. He always does.

I grit my teeth. _Hold on, guys. I'm coming._

**.:oOo:.**

**A/N – Sorry about the slightly long update but here's a nice long chapter for you all :D I realised I didn't respond to reviews before and so I'll do that now. Thanks again for all the follows and favourites, everything is appreciated. **

**REVIEWS:**

**Sunflower13 – Aha yeah that would've been really spooky, but well at least we know where and when Chen's going to be messing things up now. But I'm glad to have a positive response on Tiro! I've had him in the back of mind for a long time now and couldn't wait to see if you'd like him or not.**

**Itachi-Uchiha-lover – Wow thank you! Oh I love your reviews so much :D I hope this chapter didn't end in such a bad cliff-hanger? At least not as bad as some of the other chapters anyway haha. Thanks again for the review and hope this one was to your liking as well ;)**

**Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape – Aha thank you! :D**

**Guest – Honestly thank you so much for saying that, it really made me glow with happiness a little as that is what I'd hope to become when I'm a bit older. Although at times chapters can be a little sketchy on here, it's so nice to hear that at least I can write, so thanks.**

**Rockyrose13 – Hi there! Thank you so much for your amazing review. It was the right inspirational-kick-up-the-butt motivation I needed to finish the chapter and get it published. I'm so glad you like Seria; she's been through a heck of a lot to become what she is and is now a stronger person (if you haven't guessed I've become rather attached to her…) Thank you again for the review and – hopefully – see you soon! **

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**_


	18. Agni Kai

_**Agni Kai**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

There was something different about my sister.

There were the obvious things; like the way her hair fell in front of her eyes, normally so clean and perfectly held back from her face; the way the rouge had been smeared uncaringly across her mouth and made her lips look swollen; the way that a sleepless night had left it's dark mark under her eyes. Strange things that I brushed over, dismissed as the consequences of a rushed morning. Coronations were nerve-wracking after all. Maybe enough to throw even Azula out of her comfort zone.

But then I look again, and I see what I should've spotted as soon as Katara and I touched down into the courtyard…

_Her eyes._

They were bereft of the intelligence that had shined before, ones that had sparkled as they pinned you down, dissecting your thoughts and feelings, stripping away your hidden depths and secrets that made even the most confident of men uneasy.

Now, however, her eyes are broken into shards of insanity. A fractured reflection of the mind that had once been there. I could see the uncertainty of the Fire sages behind her. They saw the madness as well. They didn't want this leader to rule their nation; she'd throw it out of balance. But what could they say?

_An Agni Kai_…

I stare at Azula a while longer, contemplating her offer. Maybe it's the best way. After all, if it's just the two of us then no one else has to get hurt. And maybe I needed to do this.

"You're on," I say fiercely and then I falter. Some part of my mind recognises that Katara's speaking but I don't hear her anymore. Something had moved at the back of the sages and is coming forward. My eyes grow wide as I see a new person join the crowd behind Azula. Someone horribly familiar. There is a flash of white blond hair as the person moves into the comet's light.

"_No_." I whisper, wishing that this wasn't happening, wasn't real. But the man smiles and steps out from the shadows completely and it is unmistakable. The blood drains from my face. My legs go cold. Numb.

"Prince Zuko," Chen says, his voice carrying itself across the clearing. His mouth curves into an arrogant smile. "You look as if you've just seen a ghost."

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

_I have never flown so fast in my life._

_Tears stream down my face as the wind batters my eyes. My hands hold my glider in something close to a death grip and my stomach clenches as I press myself into the wooden staff as much as I can, so I can slice through the air with as little wind resistance as possible. My mind had been washed white and filled with the one aim: speed, and as much of it as possible._

_Thoughts flew through my head in a repetitive cycle._

Get there fast. Get there in time. Don't be too late for him. Get there fast…

_The weather was working in my favour, as if the air around me had sensed my urgency and strengthened the air currents, turning their flow in the right direction. I slip into each current like a fish swimming downstream, riding with it until the next wave of air. I don't think I've ever travelled so fast before. And not for so long–_

Get there fast. Get there in time. Don't be too late for him. _My mind reminds me._

Don't be too late…

**.:oOo:.**

**Zuko's POV**

Chenis_… alive? _

My thoughts rush to reject the idea, wipe clean any trace of possibility of that bastard being alive. With my eyes I saw him die, watched as Seria killed him, as his body fell to the ground. And yet now my eyes are contradicting what I thought I knew. He wasn't dead. Not anymore. He'd come back to haunt us some more. If he was a spirit I would've been thankful – at least he would've been dead – but there was no ghostly aura. He was here. And very much alive.

To the side of him, Azula smirks at me, a twisted and almost feline smile, as she enjoys my reaction. Chen's eyes glint with undisclosed excitement. They both looked predatory.

Memories of pain come flooding back, of hundreds of feet kicking my ribs, back and head. Of bones cracking and bruises forming. Memories of the faceless helmets of the soldiers. Of Chen's colourless face leering down at me and his spit that had flown into my face as he spoke.

_Oh, but I will not give a traitor the satisfaction._

I swallow hard and close my eyes, breathing in deeply. Uncle's voice rises to my head, unbidden from one of his lessons...

_It's all about the breath, Zuko, _his voice says on the ship in the North Pole. _Most Fire benders_ _are blind and only focus on the power and the muscle. But if you don't control your breathing then you don't balance yourself, and how do you hope to control your firebending?_

"Zuko?" Katara says beside me. "Is everything okay?"

I let the air flow out of me and feel a small flame kindle in the pit of my stomach. I meet their gazes.

"Let's get this over with." I say. Katara nods and steps away.

After a second longer, I silently turn my back on Azula and Chen and walk to the other side of the courtyard to my starting position. I don't look back.

"I'll leave this to you then, princess." I hear Chen say. A little too loudly, like it was for me rather than Azula. I frown. What was he up to? _He'd better stay out of this._

Azula laugh sounds too shrill to be genuine… or sane for that matter. "Oh, by the way things are at the moment, soldier," Azula drawls. "You'll have to address me as Fire Lady Azula within the hour."

_Ouch_, I think with a smile and kneel down on the other side of the courtyard. _Soldier? That's going to hurt Chen's ego. _

Even from the other side of the courtyard, I can hear Chen's heavy footsteps as he stomps away haughtily. I doubt Azula has even noticed the effect of her words. I glance at Katara who's staring at me worriedly from the shelter of the roof. I give her one last small smile, one that she hesitantly returns, before I close my eyes.

Now was the time to focus.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

It's easy to spot where they were fighting.

Great plumes of fire, both red and blue, shoot from the royal courtyard in huge clouds that fly above the tops of the buildings. As I fly over the lip of the volcano, I watch as the flames lift into the air, soaring high above the roofs of the Fire Nation Capital and bathing it all in light. The volcano walls surrounding the capital throw back every roar of fire, every shard of light back down onto the city, making it feel unreal and a place you'd visit in your dreams.

I steer my glider towards the Royal Palace and swoop down low, flying just above the rooftops so I wouldn't be spotted. I land on the roof of the surrounding walkway. My feet stumble as they come into the contact with the shingles on the roof and my legs turn to water, not yet able to support my weight. I collapse heavily onto the tiled roof. _Damn land legs! _I think bitterly, hissing through my teeth as I hit my elbow on the highest point of the roof's triangle. I lie still for a while, hoping that no one had seen me, and listen to the on-going fight just on the other side of the roof. The roaring of fire is loud enough, but if I open my senses enough I can hear the rush of air as it is forced out of the fire's way. It sounded intense.

As my muscles slowly come back to me, I manage to drag myself further up the roof and peer over: The first thing I notice is that the courtyard is full of fire.

A part of the Royal Palace was already on fire and slowly burning and there are scorch marks on the stone tiles. My eyes automatically land on Zuko, watching as he fought with powerful strokes of his arms that produced _huge_ amounts of fire, and I resist a sudden urge to run to him. There's a thin film of sweat that lines his forehead from the heat, but he doesn't seem out of breath. He seems the exact opposite, completely calm and collected. He dodges some blue fire and I tear my gaze over to a furious and slightly-frayed Azula, parrying Zuko's attacks with her own. My eye twitches in annoying.

Although Azula was considered the 'prodigy', Zuko was the one who was shining in this battle. He was so focused and all his moves were perfectly executed with both precision and –with a little help from the comet – immense power. I feel the heat sear my face from where I watch. I'd never seen bending like this before.

But something was off… Where was Katara? And Chen?

Zuko and Azula seemed to be the only ones who were fighting. Looking around, I could see Katara standing well back under the roof, anxiously pulling on a thick strand of hair. A small frown of confusion marks my lips. It was obvious that she wanted to help Zuko, so why didn't she do anything? I look back to the two lone firebenders locked a duel and remember something; Agni Kai – where two firebenders engage in a fight… to the death. Zuko had told me about these when he'd challenged Chen.

_Well, an Agni Kai would also explain the absence of Chen's meddling,_ I think bemused. At least he respected this code of honour.

I'm searching the courtyard and trying to find where Chen was hiding, when there's a flash of blue flame as Azula releases a particularly large tunnel of fire. Zuko jumps to the side and the flame shoots past him, carrying on straight towards the roof. To _me!_

I throw myself down the roof just as fire bursts over the top, singeing the ends of my hair that didn't quite make it down in time. Heat blasts my arms as I cover my head and the last embers flick away, disappearing as they lose their momentum.

_That had been close…_ I think, quickly blowing out the fire dancing on the end of my hair.

The fight ensues, both brother and sister seeming equally matched. I keep my eyes on Zuko, silently cheering him on. My eyes burn slightly from the bright flashes but I ignore it and watch in awe as Zuko does an impressive spin, creating a wheel of fire that careens towards Azula.

It hits her. She _trips_. I flinch as I hear the impact of her body smacking on the stone floor, her gasps of shock splitting the air.

But that last bout of fire had thrown light into the darkest crevice below the roof I was resting upon –

"What?" Zuko calls. "No lightning today? What's the matter, afraid I'll redirect it?"

– And I see Chen step out into the courtyard, an orange glow of flame in his hand. A cold trickle of fear pours down my spine as he briskly marches towards Zuko, who has his back turned to him –

"Lightning?" Azula spits. "Oh, I'll show you lightning!"

_That snake! _I scream in my head. _He's going to interfere!_

I stand up and take off running across the roof, jumping high into the air. I bring my leg out as I fly closer to Chen, bracing myself for impact. My shadow falls over him and in the last second, I see his head turn behind him and our eyes meet, right before I kick Chen square in the back. A shot of pain jars my leg and we both crash to the ground, me landing rather gracelessly on top of him. Everyone in the courtyard turns to us, surprise written on their faces. Being _very _uncomfortable in this proximity to Chen, I waste no time and scramble out of his reach as he makes a grab at me. His hands clutch at empty air.

I angrily turn on him and jab my glider. "_You stay out of this_!" I hiss, seething. Chen coughs and looks up at me in mild surprise and I stare back at him, absolutely enraged. _How dare he even think about interrupting this fight!_

"Seria?" I hear Zuko's voice behind me.

I freeze at the familiarity of it and look back, turning around slowly. We look at each other for the first time in days. My anger transforms to longing in an instant. I take a step towards him.

Then things happen very quickly.

Over Zuko's shoulder, I see Azula start creating a spark of lightning. I open my mouth to warn Zuko when I feel a great heat behind me and I only just have time to roll out of the way to avoid Chen's attack. As I jump back up, it's only then that I realise that Chen's purpose hadn't intended to actually hit me – if he had I would've been burned. No, he wanted me in Azula's path.

My eyes widen and I turn towards Azula. The knowledge of Chen's intentions dawns on her face and she smirks at me, releasing a blue bolt of lightning.

Aimed straight at me.


	19. Stronger Than You

_**Stronger Than You**_

_**Zuko's POV**_

I see Azula make the decision before she even raises her arm. Saw the smirk and spark in her eye before she even knows it herself.

I don't think. I just act – as I always tend to do.

Something surges in my stomach and I run forward, my feet pounding against the stone tiles as I run faster than I had ever done in my life. Things become a blur and I see the blue sparks of lightning in the corner of my eye as I run. It was approaching too quickly. I grit my teeth and push even faster, my arms pumping at my sides. I had to protect Seria. Seria couldn't redirect lightning. She wouldn't be able to stop it when the lightning enters her body, stopping her heart–

"NO!" I growl, involuntary. The lightning was there now. I press my feet into the stone tiles and bend my legs. Time had slowed down and each moment seemed like a lifetime. Did I just shout that? I don't know. Don't care. I'm already jumping, releasing the tension in my muscles as I throw myself in front of Seria and into the lightning's path. I twist around in mid-air at the last minute to try and catch the lightning, but it's too late. The lightning hits me.

The pain is instant. It was a familiar feeling to when I'd redirected lightning at my father, a shocking and burning pain that makes your body go numb with pain as it wreaked its havoc. But at least back then I had been in control of the power that had coursed through me. Now, it consumed my body and I open my mouth in a silent scream as the lightning's current rips through my chest and spread its burning fingers throughout the rest of my body like a fire. It_ burned._

My body clenches up and freezes – from the lightning or the pain, I don't know – and I feel myself slam into the ground. But the lightning wasn't leaving. It just kept on burning and I knew that if I didn't let it out _now_,it would kill me.

With a strangled cry, I throw my arm above me and flick my wrist to the sky. Blue light explodes from my fingertips and the pain intensifies for a brief moment as I release the lightning. The fire eats away at my arm until finally I've expelled as much as I possibly can withstand. I drop my burning arm to my side. My vision blurs and for a second I almost pass out, but then the world comes back to me at a sudden rush and I simply collapse onto the ground.

But then the convulsions begin as the lightning that is still trapped inside my body begins to take hold.

And yet, I couldn't help but be glad that it was me and not Seria.

_**Seria's POV**_

It had happened so quickly. The blue flash of Azula's lighting, a quick pounding of feet and then Zuko was in front of me, taking the lightning's wrath. I hadn't reacted fast enough. There had been no time. I'd been stupid to let my guard down for Azula to strike like that and now Zuko was paying the price for my mistake. I was useless.

I stare in horror at Zuko's electrocuted body on the ground, twitching and jerking with lightning. I swear my heart stops for a second, before my senses are swamped with overwhelming dread.

"_Zuko_!" I scream, the cry tearing from my throat and my staff falls from my numb fingers. I run towards him at the same time I feel the tears gathering in the back of my eyes, wishing he hadn't just done that. I should be the one on the ground, not him!

Katara follows, drawing her healing water from her pouch as she goes. I was closer now and panic floods my mind as I watch Zuko's body twitch, sparks of blue jumping from his body to the ground.

I blink hard and command my feet to move faster. I was only a few metres away from being able to touch him–

There's a flash of red and a huge explosion of fire erupts in front of me. I narrowly miss being fried as I dive out of the way, the fire scorching the soles of my feet as roll away. I quickly stand up, just in time to swipe away another blast of fire with a gust of shaky air. It billows and balloons against the new current of air and roars past me, crashing into the palace behind. The size and intensity of the fire that had been so effortlessly produced makes my insides go a little weak, but I push those betraying feelings aside and turn to my attacker.

Chen grins in front of me, his fist outstretched as he places himself between Zuko and me. I look to Zuko's now-still body behind Chen and my breathing hitches. I attempt to swallow the sob of anguish that's stuck painfully in my throat. _Why isn't he moving?!_

"Not so fast," Chen says, clearly enjoying himself immensely, judging by the smug look on his face. I glare at those colourless eyes, trying to control my fear when my mind was screaming at Zuko to get up and be okay.

"Yes," Azula crows behind me. "I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu,if you don't mind."

I hear her laugh, sounding like a maniac, and there's an explosion behind me. I whip my head around to see Katara leaping from an explosion of flames, luckily managing to get out of the way just in time. Azula stokes up some lightning.

"Katara, watch out!" I shout, turning to aid her. I don't get the chance to help as there's a flare of heat from behind me and I yelp as a flame scorches the side of my neck. Pressing my hand to the raw spot, I turn back around to Chen with a frustrated growl.

"Don't be rude," he sneers. "I'm still here." I reluctantly turn away from Katara and Azula. Chen cups a small ball of flame is his hands and holds it closer to Zuko. "Do I need to make things a little more interesting?"

"_Stay away from him_," I growl stepping forward. "Your fight is with me, leave Zuko out of this."

Chen smirks at me and says nothing. Suddenly from behind him, there's a groan from Zuko and I can't help but give a heavy sigh of relief. He's alive. He's okay!

He groans again and clutches at his chest. I wince. Well, he was okay for now anyway…

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting for you to still be alive," Chen is saying and I focus on him again. "It's strange how you actually managed to escape the Phoenix King."

"I didn't have to," I say harshly. "He lost to the Avatar."

There's a second where Chen falters and the arrogance leaves his face.

"The King is dead?" He asks fiercely, but upon my hesitation he breathes out and the sneer is fixed back in place. "Then it's not over yet. We can still win this war."

_Fine, _I think bitterly as I bring the air currents around me to be under my control._ I'll just have to make you lose. _

I whip some air at Chen, mindful to curve it so it doesn't hit Zuko behind him. Chen easily jumps to the side of it and raises his eyebrows at me.

"Is that really all you've got?" he says and I grit my teeth, trying not to let him get under my skin – which was proving to be harder than I'd thought. I knew I had to get Chen away from Zuko, but _how _I would go about doing that was another thing entirely. I release more attacks at him, and he manages to avoid every single one.

I stop and Chen takes a step forward. "I think I've seen more power from a dying old person than what was in that move," Chen mocks, smiling. My eye twitches as I attempt to quell a wave of anger and frustration. "You need to have a little more _drive_."

On his last word, he kicks forward and my eyes widen as a tunnel of fire comes rocketing towards me, bigger and more powerful than I'd ever seen before. I scramble to create a shield of air and I lean into it to brace myself as the amber flames roll closer. With a roar, it slams into me and I struggle to hold up the shield. The torrent of fire seems to be never-ending. Heat and light burns my eyes and I grit my teeth, trying in vain to keep my footing as my feet slide back, pushed backwards by the force of the screaming fire. I look up as the embers batter my pitiful shield of air and watch as they spin away behind me, the roof behind me catching alight.

Finally it stops and I look to Chen in amazement. I can't help it. He hadn't even broken a sweat from that move and I was already breathless. And I had simply _blocked_ it, without any attack to follow. Damn it. _I _wanted a comet that could give me incredible airbending. This wasn'tfair!

Chen chuckles in front of me, laughing softly through his teeth, and he brings his hands up to his face to stare at them. There's something unnerving about the way he stands.

"The Spirits are on my side today it seems," he says, his voice drunk with the power he possessed. I take a wary step back, remembering the glimpses of insanity I'd seen before. Chen clenches his fists and they glow with the fire within. He doesn't even look at me. "You have no chance."

I swallow with difficulty as I feel a bead of cold sweat roll down my neck. He was right. How could I ever hope to fight him with the comet on his side and expect to win?

I spot movement behind him and to my astonishment Zuko turns his head towards me to look at me. A breath of wind pushes my hair out of my face as I stare at him, trying to show him how I was feeling through that one look. How I was sorry about everything. Zuko smiles at me and I feel my face heat up as I struggle not to cry. Damn it he _smiled_, even with all the pain he was feeling, to show me that he actually thought I can do this. I'm shocked that he thinks I even have a chance of winning. Does he still believe that I can win against Chen?

Zuko nods at me as if he'd just read my mind.

I guess he did…

I breathe in deeply and lock my eyes on Chen, letting a deep swell of protectiveness rise within me, using it to create a brick hard determination. I can do this. I had to.

"Are you just going to admire yourself all day or are you actually going to fight me, Chen?" I call out to him.

There's a flicker of annoyance that passes across his face before he drops his hands and smiles, flashing his teeth at me. "Such bold talk coming from your mouth, seeing as you didn't have it in you to finish me last time you had the chance." My lips rise in a snarl and he takes a step towards me, his eyes gazing at me with triumph. "You had the power, you had the means – you just didn't have the guts. And now, Sozin's comet is here and you're actually foolish enough to think that you can _beat_ me? You can't defend yourself or your precious boyfriend, you aren't strong enough. You're _weak._" He spits the last two words out venomously and stops, looking pleased with himself.

I stare at him in disbelief. _What? He thought I was weak_? _Weak?!_

My mind echoes the word with outrage. He had no idea, not a single damn clue to how much I'd grown. How much I've been forced to change and grow up because of _him_. How much I've _hurt_ because of _him._

I clench my fists in anger. I _hate_ this man, so much that my chest actually hurt with the burden of such an emotion. I hate him with every fibre of my being. Right now, staring at him with Zuko injured on the ground behind him, every bone in my body vibrated with the desire to kill him. To finish what I'd started.

A loud growl erupts from my throat, sounding almost inhuman. Today I was going to end this.

I lower myself into a crouch, my blood pouring like liquid fire through my veins and the heavy beating of my heart resonating in my ears. I've never been so angry in my life.

"On the contrary," I say sounding surprisingly calm though my voice held the undertones of menace and spoke of the hidden venom beneath. Chen looked slightly shaken at the new sound of my voice and why shouldn't he? Damn, I sounded_ scary._ "I would not be so certain about your safety if I were you. That fight on the cliffside was a long time ago and I've changed. Now, I will not hesitate to cut you down given half the chance. I will take any opportunity I have to kill you, and _that_ you can be certain of."

He looks taken aback at my response. _Good_, I smile inwardly.

"Why the sudden confidence?" He sneers, his face falling back into its well-worn expression of scorn and anger as he continued. "You're still the piece of scum that sat in that cell for two years."

I brush aside the painful memory that rises inside me and I move towards him with fury in my eyes. "You're wrong. This time I'm stronger than you, Chen, even with the comet's power. I won't give in to you, or to anyone else, ever again." I smirk at him, feeling slightly dizzy from the thoughts racing through my head. I didn't recognise myself anymore, but I didn't care. I laugh and throw my arms out wide. "So do your worst, you bastard! Just you _try_ and lay a finger on me."

His face darkens. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," he says slowly, dropping into a low stance.

"I seriously doubt that," I snarl and slash my arm out towards him.

The air above us sharpens into a huge blade that advances upon Chen without a second's warning. To my annoyance, he avoids my attack at the last moment and rolls to the right of it. The blade crashes against the ground, a harsh crack resounding through the courtyard as the plaza's stone tiles split in two from the force of the blow. Zuko lies rigid in fright as he stares at the broken tiles a few inches away from his head in horror and I feel relieved at the near miss. But at least it got that bastard out of the way. Chen looks surprised as he stares at the damaged tiles and turns to me questioningly. I grin at him and he frowns, clenching his fists angrily at me.

"Fine," he snaps. "Don't expect any mercy from me, scum. I promised I'd make you suffer if it came to it so I won't give you anything less."

"Enough words, Chen." I say, suddenly bored of him and what he had to say. "You see, when it comes down to it, you don't even want to get your hands dirty, do you?"

"Oh, trust me." Chen spits, spinning his hands to create a wheel of fire in front of me. "With you, scum, I have no problem." He sends the wheel towards me and it flies across the courtyard.

I breath out and a sudden sense of calm and comprehension fills my mind, brushing away the fear and anxiety as it settled. I watch the fire come closer and I smile in anticipation.

_Here we go._

I jump up high into the air and over the wheel as it passes beneath me. He immediately sends more blasts of fire into the air at me and I smile as I fall back down. _Easy. _I dodge the first two easily, but the last one is coming at me head on, too close and too fast to dodge. I raise both arms above me and bring down a ball of air, hitting the fireball like a hammer. It slams down to earth at Chen, who blocks it at the last moment with a single palm, roaring with frustration.

I land back down on the ground and I send him a challenging look. We exchange blasts of fire and air, fighting until one of us has fallen. Nothing serious happens, just a few shallow burns and cuts, but I feel alive. Although his bending is more powerful, I find I am able to counter each attack with my own, fighting with a renewed sense of vigour and purpose.

"You look tired, Chen!" I shout at him, grinning.

He barks a bray of cackling laughter. "Not at all. Just warming up in fact." He draws a sword from his belt, the blade slim and deathly pale silver, and points it at me. I hesitate as I recognise it as the same one that I'd seen protruding from my chest in our last fight. The one he had stabbed me with. "You remember this, don't you?" he continues, looking at it admiringly. "It's one of my favourites."

I shake my head_. Ugh, trust Chen's only love to be a death machine._

He shoots some flame at it and the sword glows orange briefly. I suddenly want my own staff, something to hold in my hands that I could use. But it was on the other side of the courtyard, so I had to make do with airbending alone. Annoyed at his stalling, I gather air into a ball and jump onto it, grateful now for Aang's little 'air-scooter' trick as I ride it closer to Chen for a better shot. He fires at me, using his sword to create broader and cleaner strokes and I manage to dodge the attacks he sends my way.

_Just a little further_… I think, bringing my arms in front of me in preparation to slash at him with some air.

He grins as I approach and at the last minute darts to the side, missing my attack by centimetres and slicing at my outstretched arm before I can pull away. I cry out as the sword nicks my arm, just below my shoulder and the boiling-hot metal burns my flesh. I lose control of my air-scooter and crash into the ground, skidding across the stones and hitting my back against one of the pillars holding up the roof. I groan and push myself up, holding onto my singed skin with one hand. I glare at Chen's smirking face as he stands in the middle of the courtyard, trying to ignore the pain.

I frown. _It's time to wipe that smirk from his face._

However, before either one of us can act, the sounds of rushing water and the two heavy gasps that follow reach our ears. Temporarily distracted from our fight, we look over to the girls' fight just as Katara scrambles to tighten Azula's shackles, fixing her to the metal grate below. They're both soaking wet and breathing heavily, but otherwise look unharmed. Chen starts towards them, rushing to aid Azula.

But we couldn't have that.

"Katara, you go and help Zuko!" I shout to her, ignoring the pain that shoots through my body as I press my feet into the wood of the pillar behind me. I narrow my eyes at Chen and calculate my aim. "I'll get him."

Katara nods at me and runs off. Chen looks back at me and turns around suddenly, understanding that I was about to attack. I launch myself from the pillar at him, moving so fast that by the time he realises that I have my hands wrapped around the shoulder strap of his armour, I've already used my own momentum to throw him across the rest of the courtyard. His body flies through the air and he slams into a pillar standing at the very end, his eyes widening in shock at the impact. His sword clatters to a stop near my feet and I watch as he stares at me, his hair falling to collect in white wisps around his face. Then his eyes roll back into his head and he slumps to the ground.

I flex my arm, feeling the muscles twinge but feeling a deep sense of dark satisfaction.

_Oh, that felt so good…_

I straighten myself and let the pounding of my blood fade away. My hands uncurl from their tight fists and for the first time I am conscious of the burn on my neck, the cut on my arm, all the little scrapes and burns that peppered my body.

I smother a groan as I became too aware of the irritating pain that stems from the small but countless lacerations. How could I not have noticed it before?

"Seria."

The emotions that suddenly leap at me from that slightest hoarse whisper are unnerving and I refuse to believe that one word could affect me so much. Yet, I find my body trembling as I turn to face Zuko, knowing I should deal with Chen first, but not being able to leave him before I made sure he was okay beforehand.

Our eyes meet.

**.:oOo:.**

**A/N – Hey guys! Just want to say that I'm really grateful for the trouble you take to respond to my story, it really helps to know that you're all out there. I know it's another cliff-hanger but don't worry as I'll update sometime next week – that's a promise! See you guys again next week. Bye for now!**


	20. Indecision and Insanity

_**Indecision and Insanity**_

_**Seria's POV**_

I don't know what I was expecting to find when I had turned around. But I knew that I hadn't been expecting this.

When I meet his gaze, I'm taken aback at the cold, stony expression that marks his face. It held none of its usual warmth. No love. But then again at least there was no hate either. There was just _nothing _there. The excitement I'd felt before are swept away.

Katara notices the building tension and looks between us with a worried frown. "I'll give you guys some room," she says. "We need to keep an eye on them anyway." Zuko nods at her, oddly. I'm too shocked to give her a response. _What was even happing?_ She walks past me and as she goes by she reaches out to squeeze my arm, just enough pressure to let me know she was there in more ways than one, before she continues past.

Zuko and I stay silent for a while as we watch each other, waiting to see who speaks first.

"Are you mad at me?" I whisper at last. A horrible impulse to cry chokes my throat but I force it down as I wait for his answer.

He sighs and to my relief the distant look leaves his face. A sudden exhaustion overcomes his features and he rubs the back of his neck wearily in a gesture unfamiliar to me. One that was full of doubt and uncertainty.

"A little," Zuko admits, pausing for a while in thought. I wait, trying to allow him the room he needs to think but at the same time wanting to shout out the questions currently screaming in my head. "I was angry with you, that time you left," he says. "It was a stupid, reckless and unfair – and it tore me apart. I kept wondering how many more times you were going to leave me." He trails off and coughs, probably not used to sharing such thoughts with anyone.

I stare at him in horror_. Oh, no. _I've hurt him. I've hurt him badly. And I wonder, with a heavy stone of dread settling in the pit of my stomach, whether I could get him back.

"I had no choice, Zuko," I say, desperately trying to make him understand. "I had to make sure you guys got to safety. I-I had to do my part. To help win this war. Please try and understand that."

"I know, I just…" Zuko looks at me. "I thought you had this under control."

A cold shiver travels down my spine and the words slide from my mouth before I can stop them, sounding bitter and harsh as for a moment I relived the horror of a resurrection. "Chen wasn't meant to come back."

"I know." He says again. Then his face relaxes and he gives me a weak grin. "And although I said all those things, I just want you to know that you're incredibly brave, albeit reckless. I understand why you did what you did, but even though it hurt, it couldn't have hurt more than what you've been through for us these past few days."

I smile back at him, a great big grin that cracks my face in two. I couldn't help it. I rush towards him, clearing the distance in a few seconds, my feet feeling lighter than air at the knowledge that we were okay. I throw myself at him and wrap my arms around his neck as he catches me.

He winces as I bump into his chest. "_Gah_! Watch it, Seria, I'm not completely healed yet."

I step away. "I'm so sorry, Zuko."

"It's okay," he says, misunderstanding. "It didn't hurt that much–"

"No." I shake my head furiously. "I'm sorry, Zuko,for everything."

The words sink in and he frowns for a second before he grins again, wider than before. "Don't be stupid."

There's a surprised "mmphf!" from me as his lips crash into mine with such longing and feeling that I feel slightly wobbly. I forget about everything else and move my own lips against his, angling my face for a better angle. It feels great to kiss him again, to be close again, but the kiss had some depths to it. In that I put all my unspoken emotions, all the loss and love that we shared, and my skin tingles.

_This is natural, _I think. _This is meant to be_.

Finally we part, if a little breathless. I rest my head against his chest and try to quell the sadness that arises suddenly. Silently, he answers by wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me closer. I've missed this. Missed him. A lot. Any will power that tells me not to show weakness dissolves and I find myself unexpectedly crying in his arms, weeping silently. He holds me quietly as the tears flow, stroking my hair reassuringly. Well, I definitely know how to spoil a moment. I cry harder.

"Was it bad?" he asks me in a soft voice after a while.

"Awful," I sob, both relieved and frustrated for the tears that spill down my cheeks and soak his shirt. I squeeze my eyes shut. "It was awful."

He holds me tighter.

Eventually I stop crying and as the last splutters die away, my eyes droop and I feel a little drained. Actually, I'm exhausted. The days of stress and fighting have caught up to me – not to mention the bout of crying – and I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years. I lean heavily into him, letting his heat warm me. A rough, calloused thumb gently brushes away a tear from my cheek and I look up into warm amber eyes. "Is this still the same girl who kicked General Chen's ass?" he asks playfully.

I laugh softly. "You were watching?"

"Of course," he grins. "You were breath-taking by the way."

I laugh again, one that comes easier and genuine. "Thanks. You weren't too bad yourself."

He chuckles quietly and kisses me again. I melt into him and return the kiss. It gets hotter and I find myself holding a passion that I didn't know I could have. I love the warmth that pours into me, the feel of his hair as I tangle it in my hands, the way his mouth moves with mine like a dance… I love him. He tasted nice as well, I realise, kind of spicy. I smile against his mouth, amused slightly at the thought.

"Hey guys!"

Finally, we part and turn to see Katara coming towards us, making wild gestures towards the sky. We step away from each other a little embarrassed as she comes closer.

"They're here!" she's shouting, pointing upwards. Zuko and I look up. Floating closer to us is an airship and at the very front of it, I can just make out a tiny green figure that's waving at us wildly, the smallest speck of black atop her head as Toph makes her presence known. I smile and look back down to Zuko. His head turns towards me with the same expression, but he notices something behind me and his eyes widen.

Then at last I hear the steadily approaching footfalls behind me, the harsh panting of breath and _felt _something sharp advance towards me as it sliced through the air currents.

Zuko opens his mouth to warn me but I've already spun around with record speed as I come face to face with a snarling Chen, charging at me with his sword pointed at my heart. There's no time to bend it away and in an instant I make a decision. With an open hand, I catch the blade of the sword and smack it away, wincing as the hot blade bit into the soft skin of my palm. The sword slips past me until I catch it by the hilt. I'm close enough to Chen to see the fractional widening of his bloodshot eyes as he stares in surprise.

I don't give him a second to react. At the same time as I deflect the blade of his sword I clench my other hand in a fist and slam it into his gut, finding the gap in his armour just above the abdomen. His colourless eyes bulge at the impact and he falls to his knees, dropping his sword and leaning forward on one elbow while the other clutched at his stomach.

He coughs and bright red flecks of blood pattered against the smooth pale stone of the courtyard.

"Do you really think you could play that trick on me again?" I ask him in disgust.

"Seria," Katara says behind me. "Your hand…"

"It's nothing." I say, keeping my gaze locked onto Chen, ignoring the throb of pain and sickening trickle of blood as it flowed from my hands down my fingers, making them warm and sticky.

"You…" Chen coughs and wipes the blood from his mouth. "_Bitch_."

Zuko tenses beside me but I laugh. "Now, who's the one who's cussing? It's not very professional."

He narrows his eyes and attempts to stand up, only to burst into a spell of coughing and slump back down again. There was a small, albeit a little evil, part of me that enjoyed his obvious weakness.

"Give it up Chen," Zuko says, stepping forward. Chen's eyes flick angrily to him and then to Katara before back at me, darting to each person like a swarm of blackflies. It was creepy, but Zuko stood his ground. "It's over. You lost."

Chen growls at him, snarls of blond hair falling loose from his ponytail to sway in front of his face. The airship above comes to a stop and as I look I can see rope ladders being dropped. When I turn back around, Chen's cold colourless eyes burn into mine.

"As long as I'm still breathing," he spits, "You have won _nothing_."

"Don't flatter yourself Chen." I say angrily, wanting nothing more than to throttle him. "I'm still considering whether to keep you alive. I meant what I said before."

He laughs suddenly, with a biting edge of 'crazy' that makes me flinch. "Oh, isn't that just sweet of you to show me mercy!" his voice darkens. "You think you're so high and mighty now, scum? You think you've… hehe, _changed_. How wrong you are. So wrong. The reality is that you're still the weed that plagued the world and you needed to be wiped out, both you and your family weren't meant to exist. You actually think you and that traitor here" – he violently flicks his head at Zuko – "Can change this nation? Make it submit to the rest of the world once again?" His mouth stretches into a grin and he tries again – unsuccessfully – to stand up. He reforms to throwing his head back in a short bark of laughter. "Ha! This nation will never allow it. The honourable people still loyal to Ozai will stab you in the back as soon as you've turned and they will–" Fortunately, he's stops as Zuko leaps forward to bash him on the head, and he falls to the ground once more wheezing heavily.

"_Bastard_! We will make this nation rise to what it used to be," Zuko shouts furiously. "We'll restore the Fire Nation's honour and rid it of the corruption, starting with you. I'm afraid you'll be watching the Fire Nation grow from a lonely prison cell. Or an asylum perhaps."

Chen coughs and looks up. "I'drather_ die_."

"Fine," I snap, stepping forward and cracking my sore knuckles. "You asked for it. I honestly can say Chen, that I really won't miss you."

Chen frowns and is about to reply when a loud explosion rips into our eardrums, as if the material of time and space had been torn apart. We all look around stunned, our ears ringing as we try to find what had caused the sound.

Then I see it.

Chen's shadow had begun to move and it swelled suddenly. As I watch, it morphs into a being, a shadowy form that pulsated with the energy it contained, growing in detail as the familiar light lettering began to appear as it swallowed Chen's own shadow whole. Like it was feeding off it or something. It seems so solid and strong, seeing the form in the physical world. So… _real_. It makes me wonder if I'd ever truly excepted what had been in my dreams until it threw its proof of existence right in my face. Right here and right now.

Finally the others see it. Katara gasps and Zuko grips my arm trying to pull me back. His grip is tight and it hurts. The pain is real: I wasn't dreaming.

The shadow rises, towering two heads above me as the transformation is complete. I pry Zuko's fingers off my arm and lift my eyes into the empty sockets of Sho's mask, into those mysterious and bottomless black voids that seemed to suck everything else in.

"What are you doing here?"

**A/N - Hey guys! Sorry, I will repost this chapter again tomorrow with the replies to reviews but didn't want to break my promise so here's the chapter! There's been a problem with my computer and I didn't have it until Friday so couldn't get it up sooner – ugh. Anyway, what do you guys think? Are you surprised at the sudden appearance of Sho or did you see it coming? What do you think is going to happen next?! Tell me what you think!**


	21. Final Farewell

_**Final Farewell**_

_**Seria's POV**_

"What are you doing here?"

I hear myself say it yet I can't quite bring myself to comprehend the fact that I'd just made a rude remark towards one of the most powerful spirits out there. Katara sucks in a breath. Zuko winces. I feel like I should be kicking myself for what I'd just said, but I can't bring myself to do so. But then that begged another question.

_Why was I angry?_

"Jeez, Seria," Zuko whispers sharply. "Don't upset… whatever that is."

Sho just stares at me, not really being able to do anything else and tilts his head slightly to the side, saying nothing.

"It's Sho," I say to Zuko, my eyes not straying away from the spirit in front of me. "The Spirit who helped me before."

Zuko freezes beside me with a harsh exhale of breath. "That's the spirit?"

I nod my head and Katara steps forward. "You're a spirit?" she asks the floating entity in something close to awe. Sho turns his head towards her but doesn't answer, regarding her with something like curiosity. Like a scientist inspecting an insect.

"You going to answer her?" I ask, irritated. Why was he just staring at her like that? I was sick of everyone – and every_thing _–that thought they were above other people. Sho's head turns to me sharply, the quickest movement I've seen him make. _Surprise? Anger? _I hesitate, remembering who I was actually talking to and feel a little worried. Had I taken it too far?

Everyone around me holds their breath as Sho looks at me before he gives the slightest of nods, in a gesture to Katara. There's a quiet breath of relief.

"Thank you," I say quietly, in a way of an apology. I look behind him and to my shock, there's nothing left of Chen. Not a single trace of his being. It's as if he'd never existed.

"Where is Chen?" I ask, almost dreading the answer.

Sho regards me before answering, his voice sending shivers down my spine. I'd forgotten about its intensity. "I have taken him to the Spirit World." There was no emotion at all.

Katara holds her breath behind me. Zuko blinks. "How?" he asks.

Sho lifts his massive hand towards him and it glows with his pulsating energy. He raises it towards Zuko and I feel Zuko hesitate, taking a step back away from the Spirit's outstretched hand. I take his arm before he can move further.

"It's alright," I whisper to Zuko. "Sho just wants to show you something."

Zuko swallows and turns still, and the middle and fore-finger touches his forehead. There's an instant where Zuko's breath catches in his throat and his eyes glaze over, but then Sho's hand comes away and he sways heavily on his feet. I grip him and hold him to me so he doesn't collapse.

"That was…" he draws in a breath and looks at Sho with a mix of respect and fear. His eyes close as if he's fending off a headache. I remember the disorientation that I'd felt and help Zuko stand straight. He waves at me in a 'I-don't-need-help' gesture.

"He won't bother me again?" I ask, pressing my legs together so they'd stop shaking so much.

Sho gives a single nod. "Never again."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, not realising the intensity of my relief until I felt the tears prick at my eyes.

"Thank you, Sho." I say, feeling terrible for snapping earlier. I bow my head in what I hope was a respectful and humble way. "I am so sorry for speaking to you like that earlier. I didn't mean it. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help."

There's a low rumble that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. Then suddenly Sho comes right in front of me, so close that the energy that peels away from him touches my skin with a strange whispering warmth. Zuko steps back in surprise and the black wisps of power surround me, leaving only the white mask in my line of sight in a midst of swirly darkness. I blink as Sho's emotionless mask stares at me, the pulsing silver symbols shining brighter than ever in the gloom. I sense that time has slowed down, suspended in the heavy tension of the air around us. It should've been suffocating, but I felt calm and… powerful for some reason.

"I have grown fond of you, Airbender," Sho says eventually, something close to admittance in his voice. "Even grown to admire."

I stare at him, stunned. "A-Admire?" I choke out, trying to rediscover my amazing ability to speak. I clear my dry throat. "_Why_?"

"Courage." He answers. "You have a pure spirit, one that strives to protect others and has remained untainted by the corruption that surrounds you."

Then a golden light begins to shine, coming from the normally black pits of Sho's eyes and I find myself leaving my body. Leaving the physical world altogether.

_Not again._

_**Zuko's POV**_

"What's happening?" Katara asks in alarm as a bright golden light shines from inside the twisting black stuff that has enveloped Seria.

I take a step forward, cupping a flame in my hand as the light grows brighter. "I don't know. Should I attack it?"

We are surprised when we hear a new voice behind us. "Attack what?"

"Toph!" Katara says happily, turning around.

The others have finally come from the airship. Aang and Toph and Sokka come and meet us, triumphant looks on their faces. A good sign. I move to the side and they all notice the pulsing black cloud behind me.

Sokka jumps back. "What the heck?" He yelps and then winces as he lands. I realise that his leg is bandaged and there's a support crutch beneath his arm, but other than a few bruises they all seem unharmed.

"Where is Suki?" Katara asks suddenly, worry entering her voice. I blink and look around. I'd forgotten about the Kyoshi Warrior.

"She's up on the ship with Tiro, guarding Ozai." Aang steps forward and comes closer, staring at Sho's energy in front of him. I frown, trying to recall where I'd heard that name before. "What is that?" Aang says. "I can feel my bending going haywire."

"Me too," says Toph. "The ground is vibrating like crazy beneath it, like it almost wants to touch it or something."

"Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" Sokka says, arching an eyebrow. "The earth isn't alive or anything."

"No, I feel it too," says Katara, putting a hand on her water pouch. "It's as if the water wants to be closer to it somehow."

"You guys are crazy," Sokka says shaking his head.

"What is it?" Aang asks again.

"It's a spirit," I say to Aang, rubbing my forehead in the same place Sho had touched it. It had been strange seeing all those images in the flash of a second, like an injection of information. At least I wasn't feeling so crap now. "He came out of nowhere and took Chen with him into… into the Spirit World."

Everyone looks taken aback.

"Really?" asks Toph. "Can spirits even do that?"

"Yeah they can," Sokka says, instantly snapping out of his shocked state and waving his arms towards himself wildly. "I was once kidnapped by a crazy spirit and taken into the Spirit World too!"

"Sokka, that spirit wasn't crazy," Aang says tiredly. "Just upset."

"And I wouldn't go yelling insults about spirits with one _right in front of you_." Katara says in a warning tone.

Sokka looks sheepish. "Oh. Yeah, right. Sorry."

"But, it's not the Solstice though," Aang says, watching the light shine. Had it grown brighter since a few seconds ago? "How did the spirit manage to come here?"

Katara looks at me and gestures for me to answer. "Well from what the spirit er, _showed_ me was that he'd used the elements' energy to travel here and back. It's the spirit of energy and is very powerful. But also it used…" I hesitate. "The physical life energy from Chen."

"That's why Chen disappeared so quickly," Katara clarifies.

There's a shocked silence.

"And now Seria's inside that Spirit?" Aang asks. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Yes, she's in there," I say, turning back to the ball of black darkness and shining light as they clashed as if in battle. "But I doubt Sho's here to hurt Seria. I'm sure he's on our side."

"So… what's the plan?" Toph asks.

I think Aang's come to the same conclusion I have. He hasn't been here for more than two minutes and he's already figured it out. Smart kid.

"We wait." He says.

_**Seria's POV**_

With a bright flash, the desert of Sho stands around me. I blink at the bright light and look around, taking in the familiar strangeness of the landscape. I peer into the distance, watching as the sand carried on forever as it stretched beneath the hovering rocks. It's so vivid and so real, I can hear the roar of the non-existent wind and the sand shifting below. It was like I was actually there in the desert.

_Wait, is that even possible? I'm not asleep or anything…_

I blink again and when I open my eyes, someone's ten feet away from me.

It's Chen, looking lost and frantic and angry all at the same time as he wanders around the desert_._ I make a noise of surprise. I wasn't expecting to see him. Chen must hear me as he whips his head around to face me. For a moment we stare at each other, not quite believing the other's presence.

So, Chen was in the Spirit World after all. Sho had actually done it.

I smile.

A sneer curves its way onto his face. "What are you doing here–" Chen begins but I cut him off.

"I'm here for a final farewell." I say, suddenly filled with a wash of confidence that Sho is probably to thank for. My voice sounds strange and filled with echoes when I speak and I feel taller as well, standing – or floating rather – on a much higher level than Chen. "This is the domain of Sho, the Spirit of Energy. The source of your bending." I speak as if reciting a legend. My smile widens slightly as I realise who is helping me speak. Chen shrinks back a little. I think he's come to the same conclusion.

I move forward and for a second I can see light emanating from my arms, like some kind of yellow and white energy that seeps through my skin, swirling and disappearing into the air. I wonder for an amused second at what I must look like.

"You're going to be trapped here for a very long time, Chen. Sho will deal with you in his land; I won't see you ever again. No one will. I would be lying to say that he'll leave you alone and I'm afraid it won't be pleasant, but you have caused enough people to suffer. So this is your eternity. And this is what you deserve."

"How dare you speak to me like that, scum?" He starts. But his words have no effect on me as I hear the tremor in his voice. They're empty words, devoid of anything intelligent and worth getting troubled by.

I turn away. "Goodbye, Chen. You won't ever see me again."

"Wait!" he shouts with panic, scrambling after me. I turn around, my hair floating around me strangely, and fix him with a death glare. Chen stops abruptly, fear and frustration growing evident on his face. "You wouldn't leave me here," he hisses. "You couldn't."

Filled with a sense of calm, I look at him. As in I _really_ look at him. I take in those transparent eyes against the deathly-pale skin and for the first time, I see genuine fear in the man who will now always reside in my nightmares and memories, but no longer in reality where he can hurt the people I love.

"Actually." I say turning away. "I think I can."

"_No_! Don't you dare disappear! Come–"

And that's the last I heard of him. His last words were that of begging, as were my first words to him as he'd dragged me away from my burning house as my family had died inside. The voice spun away on the winds that had appeared and I felt myself leave with it, melting into the fine particles of the air as it flowed away. I rose out of the desert, out of the domain of Sho, the spirit world and back into my body.

But one solid fact kept me grounded, even as I twisted through air.

Chen is truly gone this time. I am rid of my tormentor forever. Finally.

Sho's voice echoes through the oblivion that I was currently in. "I'm afraid this is where I say goodbye to you too."

"You're leaving?" I ask, saddened at the idea of never seeing him again. He had helped me through so much.

"Yes, airbender," he says, almost amused. "I don't doubt that I'll leave you in peace now. You have chosen the right path and now you mast carve your own."

I remember something. "Wait, when I had that vision of Zuko being in trouble, was that you?"

"Partly," Sho says. "But being in the Spirit World for a long time can have its effects on you. This is the reason I'm leaving. It's not good for you."

I realise I'm crying, so I wipe away the tears from my cheeks. "I will never forget you, Sho."

He nods. "I will keep watch over you," Sho says, beginning to disappear. "I won't be as far away as you think."

I close my eyes and smile. "Goodbye, Sho."

"Goodbye, airbender," his voice breathes past my ears like the wind. "I shan't forget you."

And then Sho disappears forever. The world comes rushing back, pushing me back into the physical world as the courtyard comes into view again.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

"Something's happening!" Sokka shouts, stating the obvious.

The darkness pulsates and begins to dissipate, rolling towards us. We all prepare to fight just in case we need to.

"Here it comes!" Sokka shouts again. But we needn't worry, it flies past all of us, cloaking the world in black for a second. It's a strange sensation, almost warming. My inner fire sparks a bit as the spirit brushes against my skin, as if there was a connection. Katara gives a small exclamation of surprise and when we all open our eyes, there's a collective stunned silence as we stare at Seria.

She was _glowing_. Gold light gleams around her brightly like some kind of aura.

"Seria?" I ask uncertainly.

Her eyes open and I'm relieved to see that they're still the same blue as always. The light begins to fade and she suddenly falls forward as the glow leaves her completely. I lunge towards her and manage to catch her before she falls. She looks at me and laughs softly.

"Well, that was unexpected."

I can't help but chuckle. "You feeling alright?"

"Yeah just a little woozy, that's all." She holds my head suddenly and kisses me on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay."

I smile at her and help her up, supporting her with her arm around my shoulder. She looks around and notices the others. "Hey guys," she smiles a little weakly.

"We did it," says Aang, grinning widely. "We won."

Seria's small smile grows to a massive size and I can't help but grin a little bit too. We had finally won the war.

"It's over!" Toph shouts, pumping her fists in the air.

"Thanks to Team Avatar, the world is saved!" Sokka says and I can't help but roll my eyes. They all start cheering and before I can stop them, we are all bundled into a group hug. We collapse on the ground laughing. Seria has tears rolling down her face as she laughs.

"We did it!" She's crying. "I can't believe it's finally over."

And then I find myself laughing too. Because at long last, I'd finally found myself. I'd found my honour. My drive.

And the one I love.

**.:oOo:.**

**A/N – I'm back! So I'm sorry about the late update. I had to fit a lot into this chapter and work around a lot of stuff. But anyway, thanks for all the support and alerts I've been receiving for this story. It's still unbelievable that this story is being read by people! I'm afraid this story is coming to an end, but I will post one more as a kind of epilogue after this one. It's sad to see the end of the story, it's been quite a journey. I hope it's been as enjoyable for you guys as it has been for me. Thanks for all the support! I'm thinking of some one-shots of Seria and Zuko later on. I have a few ideas floating around but open to suggestions if you have any!**

**Reviews:**

**TurquoiseHeart15 – So glad to hear from you again ^^ No worries at all, it took me a while to get around to writing the sequel. Ah no I've been terrible with my updates as well so no worries. Hope you're enjoying it!**

**MignightWolf191 – Aha thanks! So glad you're enjoying it. Hope this one was to your liking.**

**Itachi-Uchicha-lover – Well hope you like this one ^^ I'm planning on writing another chapter and then it'll be over! It's sad… I've grown so fond of Seria. I might do a one-shot later on with Seria and Zuko in the future. Cough cough wedding cough cough ;) It might be a bit cliché though but I have a few ideas floating around so we'll see what comes up. Thanks for the review!**

**Sunflower13 – yeah sorry I have a thing with surprises… I think Zuko just had a bit of a mood-swing ;)**

**Shamomo – Aha you sneaky ninja girl ;) I hope you liked the chapter and hopefully soon we can get together for a bit of fangirling. Love ya! ;D**


	22. For all Time

_**A/N – Well here it is guys! The last chapter. I'm feeling kind of sad and nostalgic now that it's all over, but it's been amazing writing for you all and to have so many responses to this story (much to my surprise!) so I should probably focus on that happy stuff. It's been so much fun writing this (Sokka has been especially fun…) And wow… this chapter's almost 8,000 words… I don't think I've ever written a chapter this long before! Sorry about the size of it, I hope it's not too lengthy but I guess it's a good way to end. Happy reading!**_

_**For all time**_

_**Seria's POV**_

After our 'slightly' excitable celebrations, Zuko stepped away to call out what was left of the royal servants available into the courtyard. We were surprised to see how little staff there was left. Altogether, there were a total of two ancient ladies who looked to be twins, a cook and a nervous-looking chamber maid. Of course there were also the fire sages who had agreed to coronate Azula on that day, but they would be leaving at some point to return to the new temple.

The elderly twins told us that Azula had banished nearly all of the Royal palace's staff during her limbo of her royal status as she awaited the days of her coronation. One of the ladies muttered about the signs of mental instability showing through on those days, the pressure finally breaking the unbreakable Princess of Fire.

Zuko quickly ordered what was left of the servants to call everyone via messenger hawk who'd been banished back to the palace so he could determine himself who was actually deserving of such punishment. They all nodded and fled like a flock of scattered birds, the twins exchanging thoughtful smiles of approval that were turned in Zuko's direction. The cook took one look at the exhaustion that marked our faces and our skinny forms with a little frown, his mouth turning only at one end giving him a curious lopsided expression. He immediately offered to whip up something to eat for all of us. I realised I was starving and nodded gratefully to the cook along with the others.

Zuko gestured towards the palace doors. "Let's go and rest in the dining hall," He smiled. "I think we deserve it."

Sokka's stomach growled as if in answer. "Couldn't agree with you more there!" He said patting it with a laugh. "A man needs his meat."

We all drifted into the Palace but just before I passed through the doorway, I paused and looked back at the spot where Chen had vanished.

An exhausted smile fought its way onto my face, battling against the severe fatigue that filled every muscle in my body with lead and made the smallest movement nearly impossible.

"Thanks again, Sho."

I swear that the moment I'd finished speaking, a somehow familiar warm breath of air flowed past my shoulder, brushing against the side of my neck. I smiled before I turned back into the Palace and disappeared inside.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

The palace courtyard is a very different place the next evening. The courtyard no longer stood empty but is filled with a colourful array of people all from the different nations. The servants had gone to work as soon as they'd come back from their temporary banishment and had been very thankful towards Zuko when he'd welcomed them back into the palace. All the rough edges of the battles that took place there had been smoothed over. The scorch marks on the tiles had been sanded away and the broken sections replaced with new stone. Red flags and golden insignias fluttered in the wind atop of poles studded around the courtyard, giving the air a festive mood.

The preparations had been relatively straight forward. Zuko had hired most of the servants and guards back with the exception of a few, one of which was a sheepish group of earthbenders dressed in dark green and black robes.

Zuko had taken one look at the Dai Li agents and sent them off again, strongly suggesting that they promptly disbanded. Toph, Aang and Katara snickered behind their hands as they watched the shamed group of men all shuffle out. I noticed that even Zuko was wearing a satisfied smile. It didn't take a genius to see that these guys had had some history.

Revenge was sweet indeed.

After the rehiring of hundreds, Zuko had been approached by the royal speech writers, all loud middle-aged men who were all a little too eager and excited to write Zuko's speech for him. A lot of elbows had jabbed and many shoulders shoved to get the honoured task. It had been to everyone's surprise when Zuko had turned them down.

"I want the first thing I say to my nation to be my own words," he'd told them and then walked off, leaving the speech writers gaping after him. He'd begun working on his speech that night. He'd been very secretive about what he'd written – even to me – and we were all curious to see what he'd written on the day of the coronation.

Katara and Sokka went off in search of their dad and Toph had been scooped up by some huge squinty-eyed man and another muscly guy who referred to himself as '"The Boulder" whilst flewing his numerous muscles at me. I'd rolled my eyes and excused myself, searching for someone to stand with. Well, someone in particular.

Now, I wander the crowd. I was greeting a very enthusiastic The Duke before I catch the eye of Tiro with his family. Just the one I'd wanted to see. He was wearing a bandage wrapped around his forehead, a suitable replacement of my sash truth be told. He stands with who I guess are his children and his wife. I recognise her as the same beautiful raven-haired woman from the picture Tiro had shown me when we I was a prisoner and he was a guard. I'm pleased when he calls me over to his family with a wave and I make my way over.

"Meet my family," he says as I reach them. He puts his arm around the woman next to him. "This is my wife, Leila, and my children Nori and Hei." He says pointing to each in turn. I bow to them and he turns to address his family. "This is a great friend of mine, Seria, the girl I was telling you all about. I want you to show her your utmost respect; she's going to be Fire Lady someday."

My eyes widen at the statement but before I can tone it down, the boy turns to me suddenly.

"_Fire Lady_?" asks his son, Hei, his eyes growing big and he bows at me, dipping low. The daughter's eyes grow just as big and she bows as well. Hei's brows furrow. "Wait, aren't you meant to be wearing a fancy crown or something?"

I laugh, a little embarrassed. It had occurred to me the idea of helping Zuko change the world and whatnot, but I wasn't expecting this. "Well, I'm not Fire Lady yet," I tell them, sending little glares at Tiro who just shrugs in return. "So you can just call me Seria."

The boy grins. "Hey, if you're going to be Fire Lady, could you make school against the law?" He asks excitedly before his face darkens ever so slightly. "My teacher should've been born with a tail and two horns."

Nori snickers, trying to cover it with her hand. Tiro just shakes his head.

I try not to smile, but it fails. Miserably. "Sure, I'll put a word in for you, Hei."

A cheeky grin spreads across his face. "Cool!" he says happily and I blink. That same toothy smile… it reminds me of Yen, my own younger broth.

Yen, whose now buried six feet underground with only a cold stone to mark the lively little boy that had been alive once before.

An unexpectedly strong and empty pang of loss flips my stomach. I wonder what sort of person he would've grown into. He should've been thirteen by now, but thanks to the attack he never lived long enough to see his tenth birthday. Suddenly I'm _very _glad about what has become Chen's fate.

_Happy thoughts. _I remind myself hurriedly, fixing my mouth back into a polite smile. _This is a happy day which needs happy thoughts. Happy, happy, happy._

My face felt like it was going to be stuck in this stupid grin if it went on for too long.

"My husband told me of how you saved him," says the raven-haired lady, Leila. I turn to her and to find her smiling prettily at me. "Thank you for bringing him back to us."

"I bet he didn't tell you he was the one who helped me in the first place?" I say, trying to keep my voice light. I had a strange sort of need for the woman to continue speaking. Even her voice sounded all smooth and silky-soft, like black velvet. It was nice to hear. Almost motherly, I guess.

An amused smile lifts the corners of her mouth, looking at her husband with something close to adoration. "No, he did not."

"You saved my dad?" Hei breathes, his face slack with disbelief before it scrunches up again. "But you're a _girl – ow!_"

Tiro had whacked him on the ear. "Watch it."

Nori rolls her eyes. "Please excuse my brother," she says to me before turning on Hei. "I think a girl who can take on the entire navy could take you on any day with no problem. Make sure you're careful to who you offend, little brother."

"Too right." Tiro agrees, laughing.

Hei is rubbing his ear, looking around at us confused. "B-But Dad saved _us_," he mumbles. "He doesn't need to be saved himself."

I look to Tiro. "You did?"

He coughs and I see the subtlest nudge from Leila but he doesn't answer. Eventually Nori clears her throat. "Well, yes. That's how Dad lost his arm," she says. She meets my eyes a little shyly. "It was ages ago though. Dad had been reposted to a port and we were living in a town that served as an army barracks for the navy. When we were asleep, the town was attacked by a troop of Earthbenders and our house got destroyed, collapsing with us in it. Dad had been fighting them at the beach but he left the fight when he heard that our house had come down."

I remember how it used to be _Captain_ Tiro and my mind makes the connection. Fire Nation officials didn't look too kindly on someone who abandons their post, even for personal reasons.

"I was young," Nori continues, frowning ever so slightly. "And all I remember is that it was dark and there was dust everywhere… and then Dad was there holding a gap wide enough for us to escape." She shifts. "But the rubble crumbled under its own weight and Dad's arm got trapped and…" She trails off looking uncomfortable.

_I_ was feeling uncomfortable. Although I was completely fascinated with the story, I was feeling guilty. I didn't want there to be any bad memories on this day, but it turns out things weren't going the way I thought.

"It was crushed." Tiro finishes, coming forward to put an arm around his daughter. "But I still have my beautiful family with me and in comparison, it doesn't even scratch the surface." He grins. "Plus I've still got one arm, it's all I need."

Nori smiles up at him relieved and they start talking.

I find that all I can do is to stare at Tiro for a while. I guess we had a lot more in common than I thought, with the exception that _he_ was able to protect his family. If only I'd been strong enough to protect my own…

"Seria," Leila says and it draws me back away from my thoughts and to her. Leila is looking at me intently. "You know you are always welcome at our home."

I smile. "That's very kind of you–"

"No." Tiro interrupts, knowing full well that I was just about to decline the offer. I frown at him. Isn't that what you do when you're being polite? He steps towards me to put his hand on my shoulder. "If you _ever_ need anything or if you just want a break you must come over for dinner or something at some point." His eyes suddenly become serious and he says the next words slowly, giving each one meaning. "You'll always have a family with us."

I look at him stunned. The others are nodding as well, as if they were actually okay with it. Wait, _what? _What was happening exactly? Had I just been… accepted?

I blink and look around at them, meeting the hard stares. They seemed serious about it.

"Thank you." I manage to choke out before everything becomes weirdly blurry. I rub at my eyes as everyone around me grins. I was definitely _not _crying. Damn it, something was irritating my eye.

"Welcome to the family!" Hei cries.

Everyone laughs and I find my own face moulding into a smile, like it's the most natural thing in the world. I catch Tiro's eye and he grins at me and before I can make a move, pulls me into a one-armed hug.

"You'll be safe with us," He says firmly into my ear, all serious again. "We'll protect you."

I manage a sniff in reply. I am definitely _not_ crying_._

**.:oOo:.**

There was a moment's hush as everyone settles into their places. I stand at the front next to Tiro, feeling only _slightly_ on top of the world and only _slightly_ excited. Everyone waits expectantly, impatience growing with every passing minute, eyes boring into the covered door of the oalace he was to walk through.

Finally the curtain parts and Zuko steps out into the courtyard, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. His normally long hair is tied up in a ceremonial bun and he wears flowing silk robes that reflect the sun a little, ruby coloured shadows reflecting in the walls behind him. He was looking… very handsome actually. My cheeks get a little warmer as cheers rise up to greet him. He holds up his hand the cheering dims.

"Please," he says turning. "The real hero is the Avatar."

The crowd breaks out into a huge roar of applause when Aang steps out from the palace and moves next to Zuko. I cheer as loud as I can for them both and although I couldn't exactly _see _Toph, I could definitely _hear_ her. I smile as Zuko and Aang glance at each other before they acknowledge the crowd's raucous applause. I notice Zuko searching the crowd, scanning over the lines and lines of people gathered there today. Then his eyes land on me. I smile hugely at him, filled with such pride that I feel my chest will burst.

"You got this," I mouth at him. He smiles ever so slightly and turns to the crowd in general.

"Today," he begins while the crowd settles. "This war is finally _over_!" Zuko cries, grinning as the crowd gets even wilder. He looks so happy to be the one to say those words. I close my eyes, letting the gravity of such a thing hit me and grinning. The murmur doesn't die down and Zuko speaks over the crowd's babble in a more serious tone. "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honour of the Fire Nation." His eyebrows furrow. "And I _will_." The crowd goes completely silent, as Zuko's voice takes on a tone of urgency. Even the scary swamp guy behind me has stopped singing eerily to himself. "The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help…"

I look to Aang briefly at his mention, but when I look back to Zuko I that his eyes are locked on mine. I jump a little at the intensity and he smiles. "We can get it back on the right _path_."

My mouth drops into a little 'o' and his eyes glitter with something knowing. We don't break eye contact as he continues, his voice growing softer.

"And begin a new era of love and peace," He says looking at me so intently and I can't help but look down at the ground for a moment as heat rushes to my cheeks. Tiro nudges me and the flaming in my face gets hotter.

When I look back up, I see that Aang has stepped back and a Fire Sages is walking over to Zuko, the gleaming crown held high in his hands for everyone to see.

Zuko kneels down and closes his eyes, bowing his head. The Fire Sage walks up behind him and lifts the golden royal artefact in the air, arms stretching skywards.

"All hail Fire Lord Zuko!" He proclaims before he places the crown on top of Zuko's head. The cheering rises up again, louder than before.

I suddenly find my wrist being grabbed and before I can turn around to see who it is, I am pulled into one more huge group hug by Katara with the others. She grins at me and slings an arm over my shoulder as we all mash together. Toph and Sokka are dancing around, cheering and slapping everyone on the back they can find.

"Hey, Seria!" Toph cries, spinning around and punching me – _hard _– on the shoulder. "Where've you been? You got to ask your boyfriend to throw a party. This one is gonna be _huge_!"

Sokka's mouth drops open and he stares at me. "Oh my gosh– Seria!" he exclaims, grabbing my shoulders and giving me a shake. "I've just realised: The new _Fire Lord _is your _boyfriend_!"

Katara bursts out laughing and I manage to wriggle out of his hurting grasp, my shoulder still sore from Toph's hit. "I've noticed, Sokka." I say with wry smile, rubbing my arm.

Sokka lets out an excited squeal. "That means when you get married, you'll be _Fire_ _Lady_!"

"Yes, so I've been told already." I look around. A couple of others were looking at us curiously. Sokka wasn't exactly being quiet about the fact that I was _with_ the new Fire Lord. "Shush now!"

"You can have fire-bending babies! And air-bending babies." He says, raising a suggestive eyebrow and I can't help but choke on my own breath. Toph bursts into loud laughter as he continues. "You have no choice, you have a responsibility to carry on airbending so you'll have to have lots of babies. Unlucky. And they'll be princes and princesses too…" He goes on and I look away from his bubble of excitement when I find that people are staring at me now, whispering to each other. _Oh great…_

"Did I just hear Sokka correctly?" asks an amused voice behind us.

"Aang!" Says Katara happily. We spin around to face the Avatar and newly crowned Fire Lord. I smile to myself. Wow… _Fire Lord_. He was even more good-looking up close, especially with the genuine smile he was wearing. And he was all mine–

I stop. _Did I actually just think that?_

Sokka grins. "I think you did."

"Agni, Sokka," Zuko mutters under his breath as he waves politely to eager nobles. "I swear if you manage to embarrass me in public on my first day of coronation… I _will _banish you."

Sokka just grins, looking a little too evil in my opinion. Zuko comes to stand next to me, so close I could've leaned slightly to the right and brushed shoulders with him. Oh, I wanted to, but we had an audience and with Sokka ranting about 'babies' I wondered whether I'd be able to show my face again in public.

"Too late," I say, looking around at the people around, eyes openly on Zuko and me. "I think you might need to introduce me to your followers or something thanks to loudmouth over here."

"_Loudmouth_, eh?" Sokka says slyly. "Well in that case..." And then in a _much _louder sing-song voice. "Aw, you guys are so sweet!" Sokka jokes loudly, putting a hand on his heart attracting yet even more attention to us. ."

The murmurs become louder. My face is undoubtedly bright red now and Zuko sighs heavily. More people are smiling now. Some however are obviously not too impressed with me and I feel their eyes on me.

"Sokka," says Zuko, his voice light and sweet as he expertly keeps his face polite and smiling for the public. "After this is over, I am going to kill you."

"Catch me first, fire boy," says Sokka. He walks away and leaves us to face the huge crowd that had gathered.

"We'll get him later," I whisper fiercely to Zuko.

"_Later_, yes." Zuko sighs and scans the crowd in front. "You ready to be introduced to the world?" Zuko murmurs to me.

I laugh nervously. "I don't think I have a choice, but please continue," I go to gesture but then realise my hands are shaking and I press them to my side instead.

There's a second's pause and I know Zuko had seen my trembling hands. "It'll be okay," he says, his hand slipping into mine. I stiffen in surprise and glance at the on looking crowd. In public? The smiles or frowns that the crowd are wearing grow. But Zuko isn't looking at them. "You're not on your own," he says instead. "We've got each other's backs, remember?"

I relax instantly, laughing softly under my breath. They'd been the exact words I'd said to him back when we were attacked at the Western Air Temple. I give his hand a squeeze. "Of course I remember."

A grin graces his face before he covers it up. "Good. Now smile and be yourself," he says happily. "They'll love you."

I almost roll my eyes. "Sure they will."

We face the crowd fully now, turning our smiles to them. "Ladies and gentleman," Zuko says loudly for them all to hear. "I have someone I think it would be best that I'd introduce to you all…"

**.:oOo:.**

_**Zuko's POV**_

The Jasmine Dragon had only been open for a week or so but already it was bringing in waves of customers every day. Everyone had wanted a taste of Uncle's famous tea. Nobleman, generals and the Earth King himself (finally) were all customers at the shop. I was happy for him that it was such a great success.

However, tonight Uncle had closed the tea shop early for the evening and had invited us all to spend one last night together. After the coronation, we had travelled to Ba Sing Se to sign a peace alliance with the Earth King and Uncle had suggested – or _insisted_ rather– that we stay at his shop and in the small apartments upstairs. It hadn't taken much persuading. I'd been looking forward to seeing Uncle again.

Maybe I wouldn't have been looking forward to it so much though when Seria had been introduced to Uncle.

The moment she had walked into the room, Uncle had taken one look at her and smiled widely.

"And you must be Seria!" Uncle had exclaimed, walking up to her. "I'm more than happy to have finally met the beautiful young woman my nephew had been talking about so eagerly." I'd stiffened in horror before coughing lightly, shooting Uncle a warning look that he made an effort to ignore. Seria seemed to be smiling, amused apparently as Uncle had continued. "He's told me much about you. He needs someone like you to stop him from being so serious all the time."

"Uncle," I'd groaned. _Why must he do this?_

"My point exactly, Zuko," He had said grinning as I glared at him. I wished he'd stop showing off.

Seria had laughed though and bowed to Uncle. "I'm honoured to have finally met you General Iroh."

"Please, call me Uncle." He said. He bowed as well and I swear his eyes were twinkling as he went down. "And believe me, my dear," he smiled. "The honour's all mine."

The embarrassment was still fresh in my mind an hour later, but it was slowly fading away into something a little more depressing. Nostalgia was heavy in the air for all of us and I could feel that everyone was starting to feel a bit down by it. Even I felt it. Everyone was going their separate ways tomorrow and although I wasn't as upset as Seria, I'd found that I'd formed a bond with this group and I was sorry to see them go.

So I offered to make tea for everyone. After some lame joke from Sokka that went something along the lines of "Oh woe and behold! The new Fire Lord making tea for us!" I had slipped back in the kitchen and stood there for a moment. A month ago I'd been an employee here and Uncle and I had come to the city as refugees. I laugh softly. How different things were now…

I serve out steaming cups to everyone, receiving thanks as I handed them their tea. I make my way over to Seria with the tray who was sitting by the window and looking out over the city and towards the sunset. I follow her gaze Even I had to admit it, the sky was spectacular tonight, but I wasn't really interested in that. The dwindling light from the sun glowed golden and had bathed her in its warm rays, making her almost glow like some kind of halo. For a second, she looked so beautiful that I had to stop to realise that she was mine.

Smiling, I walk closer and set down the tray on the window ledge in front of her. She looks up at me, smiling happily and taking one. I suddenly wish we were alone. But still. Maybe no one would notice us…

"Zuko! Stop moving!" Sokka's voice suddenly cuts through the air. I stop leaning towards Seria with a start and turn around to see him seated at a table, paintbrush poised over some paper and glaring at me. Ink drops from the brush and splashes onto the paper as he holds it. "I'm trying to capture the moment!" He says dramatically before going back to his painting, his face softening from its scowl. "I wanted to do a painting, so we'd always remember the good times together."

His sister smiles and walks over to the table. "That's very thoughtful of you, Sokka–" Katara's eyebrows twitch and she frowns. "Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies!"

Frowning, I walk over to the painting and see that it's terrible to say the least. The figures painted on the paper are inaccurate and poorly drawn. I look at the one with the scar, the one that's supposed to be me.

"At least you don't look like a porcupine," I mutter. "My hair's not that spiky."

Seria's comes next to me and she peers at the figure next to mine. "Um… Why have I got a tail?" she asks frowning.

Sokka looks up at her sheepishly. "That's your sash thingy that you tie around your waist."

Her eyes widen. "Oh…" she laughs. "Wow."

More people come over to join us, each pointing out a flaw in his design as Sokka gets more and more annoyed. I have to admit that it felt good as karma worked its magic. I hadn't _quite_ forgiven him for his embarrassing scene at the coronation.

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Toph suddenly shouts. Everyone bursts into laughter and I can't help but join in, especially when Sokka gives a very amusing screech of indignation that is probably a couple of octaves higher than it should've been.

After the laughter dies down, Seria clasps my hand and pulls me back over to the window. I smile as she tugs me over to the seat and I sit down beside her, watching as she picks up a cup in her hand and gestures to the sunset outside.

"Don't you think it's just so romantically cheesy?" She grins.

I chuckle. "Sure."

"I liked your speech by the way." She says, taking a sip from the tea. I ignore the way the liquid has made her lips all moist, shining in the evening light. "Did you make it up on the spot?" she teases.

I put on my most serious voice. "Yes."

Her eyes widen before she realises that I'm joking. "I almost fell for that," She laughs, before poking my lightly in the arm. "And your Uncle says you have no sense of humour."

I didn't tell her that it was only because I was with her that I could be so relaxed. Instead I say, "You had a little bit of input actually."

"Was that the 'path' bit?" she asks.

I nod. "You were right," I say. "We all have to follow our own paths, not the ones that have been carved out for us. We have to make our own way the world has to now. Even if we don't know it, we are always on the way to somewhere, following a path we don't know about. Hopefully, the path we choose to take will lead the world to one of peace."

She smiles and leans forward, her cool fingertips touching the scarred side of my face briefly. "See? You are more than you have ever given yourself credit for. You've got so many things that make you yourself – _good_ qualities. I don't doubt for a second that you're going to lead this world somewhere great. This nation is lucky to have you as its leader."

_Ah_. I feel…nice. How does she always know what to say?

"You know what." She chuckles. "After hearing that I wouldn't have been surprised your whole speech had been spontaneous."

I smile. Well there had been one spontaneous part. The 'love' bit was also for her. I was never meant to bring 'love' into the speech but it had slipped out as easily as the words I'd rehearsed before, as if it had been there all along hidden somewhere between the ink and paper.

Her eyes catch something outside and they widen. She nudges me and I turn to see Katara and Aang in a rather passionate embrace. _Wait… _Arethey_ kissing?_

"Told you those two had eyes for each other," Seria grins.

I look at them in disbelief. "I guess you're right."

"Hey where'd Aang go?" Sokka asks loudly. We turn around in a panic. Sokka peers outside and smiles, walking towards the door. "Oh never mind, he's outside with–" He freezes as he realises what his sister and the Avatar are actually doing. "_Whaa–"_

Seria runs forward and pulls Sokka away from the doorway before he can ruin the moment.

"Shush, Sokka!" she says tugging him over.

He looks through the window dumbfounded. "Aang's kissing Katara?" he asks. "He's _kissing_ my _sister_?"

Seria looks at him. "Yes he is."

I wince inwardly. I guess there was no beating around the bush for Sokka.

Sokka throws his hands up, looking confused and frustrated. "But _why_?"

"Sokka," Seria says. "I know you're incredibly manly and want to protect your younger sister, but you've got to let it go. This is something that I forbid you from getting in the way of. They love each other."

Sokka narrows his eyes. "Since when?"

Toph snorts from the other side of the room. "And I thought I was the blind one here."

"A long time," Seria says.

"Simply put," I say coming over. "You got to deal with it."

To his credit, Sokka presses his lips into a thin line and nods. He wanders away and goes to Suki.

I think it's safe to say we just saved Aang and Katara a great deal of embarrassment.

**.:oOo:.**

_**Seria's POV**_

Sleep came quickly that night. It wasn't welcome though.

Ever since Sho said that he wouldn't be taking me into the Spirit world I'd had strange dreams. Sometimes scary ones. Memories that I'd previously kept locked away in a mental box all this time were now coming out with a vengeance.

For the first time though for over a week, I found myself _back _in the desert. I blink and look around, shocked to find that this time, I was at the edge of the desert. A few metres away the sand gave way to rock. It was the end of Sho's domain.

_Should I even be here? _I think worriedly, looking back at Sho's desert and the endless shifting sand. I know Sho would keep his promise and wouldn't show himself, however I was wondering whether Chen would be so subtle. I rub at my ears; the roaring noise was louder here.

But the roaring sound didn't block out the small voice that came from behind me. I doubt much could have.

"Seria."

I freeze. That hadn't been Chen or Sho. That had been someone else… But that wasn't possible, right?

"Yen?" I whisper, turning around slowly. My jaw goes slack as I stare in shock at my little brother -standing before me, on the edge of the sand. He looked exactly like the day he'd died, his too big shirt hanging off his small frame and green trousers rolled up at the bottom. His eyes were still the same bright blue and his brown and slightly messed up hair still looked the colour of the trees' bark from the woods outside our village. The only difference was the slight bluish glow that emanated from him, like a ghostly aura that framed his body.

"You're here!" he cries excitedly, grinning wide.

"Yen!" I cry, running towards him. I feel tears gathering in the bottom of my eyes. How long had it been since I'd last seen him? I pass over the sand-filled realm of Sho without a problem and my bare feet slap on the new rocky ground. I hug him, unable to let him go until, eventually, he wriggles out of my grasp and stands in front of me.

"You've gotten big," he says frowning up at me, his big blue eyes finding mine. "_Aw_… Why am I still so small?"

I laugh, despite the tears that are threatening to fall. It sounds shaky and strange, so I reach out and ruffle my younger brother's hair, surprised to find that he felt so… _solid_. "It's because I haven't seen you in so long," I tell him, my voice catching in my throat.

He bats my hand away and grins up at me. "Well, none of us have."

"Us?"

"_My_ _child_."

I look up at the new voice and see the rest of my family standing before me. My mother and my father and my grandmother, all standing behind Yen.

I stare at them in shock.

"We are so proud of you," My mother says, her eyes filling with tears. "_So_ proud."

"M-Mum?" The word falling from my numb lips. She nods and I stare at her, her words slowly registering. "You… are proud of me?"

"Of course!" My father exclaims. "You managed to find your own way. You joined the Avatar and his group. You managed to defeat that _monster_ with the transparent eyes. You fought for what and who you loved."

"And you became a master airbender," My grandmother chimed in, smiling broadly.

I stare at them. "How…How do you know all of this?"

"The Spirit of Energy told us," My father says. He hesitates and then corrects himself. "Well, _showed_ us is the better term to describe it."

Yen nods. "He's really cool."

I'm surprised. "You've seen him?"

"The point is," my mother interrupts. She moves forward to place a hand on my shoulder and smiles "The Spirit allowed us to visit you. To see you again. I can't tell you how much it means to me to see you one last time." Her voice cracks and her hand moves up to rest against my cheek. "To say goodbye to you properly."

My brain kicks in and I realise that her hand is real – that _she _is real – and I lean forward to wrap my arms around her, my face scratching against the material of her dress. She felt so _real_, even if she felt colder than she should have. I let out a huge breath that comes out as a sob. This would be what I miss the most about not having a mother. My mother's hugs. She starts shaking ever so slightly and I realise that she was crying silently.

"I miss you," I whisper, turning my face into her dress . "I miss you all so much. I felt so alone without you–"

"But you're not alone anymore, are you?" she says, her voice thick and her arms come around me as well. "You have your friends. And that prince you're so fond of."

I'm not even surprised she knows about Zuko.

"That's true," I mumble. "I wish you could meet him." I draw back – a little reluctantly – from my mother and lift my eyes to the others. "All of you."

My grandmother frowns slightly. "I trust you to make the right decisions, my dear."

"Anyway, there's no need," My father grins. "I already approve of your betrothal to him."

"Oh, that's good– Wait, _what_? No! Well, I mean yes but…" I trail off as they laugh. I feel my cheeks flush. "We… we haven't even talked about that yet." I mumble.

"Oh darling," my mother laughs through her tears. "Your father's teasing you."

"I'm _not_." Comes my father's voice.

My grandmother rolls her eyes. "Oh, stop it."

"Seria has a _boyfriend_," Yen chants smirking. I smile, realising that this is teasing. Just some family fun. Something I wouldn't know.

"Ha ha." I say, poking my tongue out at Yen who sticks his back out at me. It feels good actually, being a child again. It made me wonder what kind of childhood I would've had if Chen hadn't attacked.

Suddenly the laughter stops and my family all turn their heads in one direction, as if they can hear something that I can't.

"We have to return soon," my mother says grimly. She turns and catches my hands in hers. "But just remember that though we may not always be there, we will always love you."

I smile sadly, feeling as if my chest has just been engulfed in grief again at the loss of my family. "Love you too," I murmur. My mother leans forward to kiss me on the forehead one last time and then turns. I close my eyes briefly and when I next look for her, she's gone.

Yen skips up to me. "See you later, big sis," He says with a grin. "Don't get any taller, okay?"

I laugh and ruffle his hair. "I'll try not to."

He hesitates before he expectantly hugs me, one arm awkwardly hooked around my middle, before he lets go and shuffles away.

"You know, I wasn't joking about the betrothal thing," says a voice behind me. I turn around to face my father and grandmother. My father was the one who'd spoken. "If you think he's the right one, then I'll support your decision. I wish you both luck in life."

"Thank you, Dad," I say smiling. "Good luck to you too. Well, in the afterlife anyway."

He laughs. "Will do." He pats my head, his hand lingering just a moment before he goes. I watch as he walks away, a heavy lump in my throat. It was happening so quickly.

I suddenly find someone behind me, clasping something around my neck. I struggle in a panic for a moment before I see the weathered hands of my grandmother, tying some kind of necklace around my neck. The pendant falls heavily against my chest and curious, I hold it up to my face. A clear yellow gemstone shines in front of me, looking so clear and bright I swear it gave off its own light. It was strangely warm. A little like the sun. "What's this?" I ask her.

She smiles. "A present. It's a called 'seeing stone'. Airbenders used them to help during meditation. It allows you to open up your mind to the world. Hopefully, it will keep some kind of link between you and us."

"Thank you, grandmother," I smile, letting the stone fall back down again. It hit my chest with a light thud. I move forward and hug her fiercely, wishing she didn't have to go as well. "I don't want you to leave," I cry into her. The sand from Sho's desert is gathering around my feet in swirling circles. The wind is stronger now and I feel its tug on my body, coaxing my back into the physical realm.

A hand rubs my back in soothing circles. "Oh, my dear little airbender," my grandmother says with a laugh. "We never did."

**.:oOo:.**

I wake up in a dark room.

I gasp and bolt upright, taking a few shuddering breaths as my heart rate decelerates. The sheets have flown off the bed. I stare at them numbly as my mind leaves the haziness of sleep and the realisation hits me. I smile. I'd just seen my family. _My family. _I slowly fall back onto the pillow, staring up at nothing in particular as I let that one thought to ravish my mind.

There is a damp patch on my pillow and I frown, thinking it to be drool. But then I notice the breeze that's cool against the side of my face. My fingertips brush my cheeks and they come away wet with tears.

Sighing, I slip out from under the sheets of the bed and tiptoe barefooted out of the room. I make my way down the bright hall of Uncle Iroh's apartment as quietly as I can. I can hear the soft snores of the others from behind closed doors, sleeping in their own rooms. I stop outside one of them and knock lightly on the wood.

"Zuko?" I whisper. There's no response. I crack it open slightly and peer inside the room, watching the sleeping figure briefly. A single candle stands on the bedside table beside him and casts a soft glow over his features while plunging the walls behind into deep shadows.

I open the door fully and the light from the lamps outside spills into the room. As soon as the bright light hits his face, his eyes open. There's a moment of hesitation before he realises it's me.

"Seria?" he says groggily, rubbing at his face. "What are you doing here?"

I look down at my bare feet. I felt foolish suddenly. Why _was_ I here? "Um…" I say at last, coming into the room and closing the door. "I sort of had a dream."

He frowns. "A nightmare?"

I shake my head. "No, no. I think that I… saw my parents." I pause. "As in, I just talked to my dead family." Another pause. "In the Spirit World."

He moves over slightly to one side of the bed and I come over to sit by him, fiddling with the Earth Kingdom brown and green sheets. He's quiet for a while and I let it linger, waiting for his reaction.

"You know if anyone else had told me that I would've called them crazy," he says eventually. "But weird things tend to happen to you."

"Well that's an understatement," I laugh nervously.

He nods, a little sleepily, like his head weighs a load. His eyes are drooping. It's kind of cute actually. I cough, trying to rid the thoughts from my mind and focus.

"I don't know," he says. "Maybe it was just a vivid dream?"

"Mmm." I frown. _Was it just a dream? _I wanted it to be real… But the truth was I didn't know. A breeze blows through the open window, its' cold fingers creeping over my bare arms. I shiver and pull the duvet over me, tugging it up to my neck and leaning back against the pillow beside him. "They just felt so _real_."

"It was just an idea," He says. "There could be so many other reasons why– Ah!" He suddenly flinches and jerks his legs. "Damn, Seria, your feet are freezing!"

"Sorry." I move to pull my feet back when something slides around my neck. My eyes widen as I remember the necklace and I grasp the thing around my neck and drag it up to my eyes. The yellow stone sits in my hand, glowing dimly in the half-light. My heart suddenly starts pounding. It... hadn't been just a dream.

"Hey!" I nudge Zuko excitedly, jabbing at his ribs to keep him up.

He groans and rolls back over to face me. "What?"

I bring the necklace forward to him. "It wasn't a dream, look! This is what my grandmother gave me when I was with them. It was real," I find my voice trailing off and I stare at the seeing-stone. "It was _real_…"

A warm feeling flares inside me and I find myself recalling the meeting. My mother's hug. My brother's teasing. My father's permission. I blush at that bit.

Zuko peers at me. "You're face has gone red."

"It has _not_," I snap, my face growing redder as he just shakes his head. I rub at my warm cheeks, trying to get rid of the heat that's flaring against my skin.

Beside me, Zuko breathes out heavily and slings an arm over his eyes, his face turning into a small frown as if something was troubling him. I suddenly remember him telling me about the visit to his father in prison. I give myself a mental kick for not remembering sooner.

"Did you find out about your mother?" I ask tentatively.

The arm falls away and he opens an eye. "Yes."

"And…?"

"Hira'a," he says after a pause. "A small town in the Fire Nation. It's where she grew up."

"Then we will search for her there," I say, nodding. "It could work. We could ask the nobles to look after the Nation for a while and visit the town. We'll look for her there and if she isn't there then we'll keep on searching for as long as it takes–"

I'm interrupted by a pair of arms closing around me and pulling me towards him. His eyes are shining in the half darkness, the light from the candle bathing him in a muted gold. My breath catches in my throat as I study him. He looked beautiful – in a manly way of course. He leans even closer until our foreheads are touching.

"Thank you," He says huskily, his breath hot on my lips which sends a pleasant shudder through my bones. I close the distance between us and press my lips to his, kissing him softly.

"I'll always be here for you, Zuko," I murmur against him, feeling a little light-headed as I wrap my arms around his neck. "I promise."

He smiles and kisses me again, his mouth fitting to mine. The rest of the world falls away as we get tangled up in the sheets around us. Nothing else mattered. Because as I said, we had each other.

And that was a promise I intend to keep.

**The End**

_**A/N – And that is the last chapter! Wow… I'm sad for it to end… Ugh this is horrible. Well, let me start with a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourite and read this story all the way through to this last chapter. I have had so much fun writing this and I can only hope you have enjoyed it as well (right?). Personally this has been the best experience in terms of development and improving as a writer, so thank YOU **_____

_**Special thanks to OmegaTheEND, MidnightWolf191, AerisCote, sunflower13, Itachi-Uchicha-lover, Slightly Crazy Author and Rockyrose13 for all your wonderful support.**_

_**As I mentioned before, there will be a one shot coming out at some point if you all still want it. If anyone has any requests PM me or leave it in a review and I'd be more than happy to hear your ideas. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading this story and sticking with it for this long. Love to you all! **_

_**~Zozeebobs**_

_**Just before I get in trouble, here's a quick disclaimer…  
I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SERIA, TIRO AND CHEN, ALL OTHER CHARACTERS AND EPISODES BELONGS TO NICKOLODEON  
There we go… at least I put that in somewhere, right?**_


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